Love is Stronger than Pride
by edwardsouthernbella
Summary: Edward and Bella were deeply in love years ago. His family and their career choices tore them apart. She is a belly dancer, and he is a detective. There is a stalker that has an eye on her dancing troupe. Edward fears for her safety and returns into her life. Once they are reunited, will he be able to keep her safe?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Pressed Irises and Other Memories

The plot bunny visited again! Now you all get to reap the reward. Kitty Masen, thank you for your excellent beta skills! Who wants to meet Detectiveward?

The women tempted him every time he saw the performance. He was mesmerized by the sway of their hips. No one noticed him as he recorded everything on a small video camera. It was dark in the theater. He knew their names. His raging hard on was almost unbearable as he continued to study the women. The music was almost as hypnotizing as they were. He came here every time they performed. He would watch this recording over and over while he masturbated and imagined his fantasies. For each one of the women, he had a different plot, but each one ended the same way. He was biding his time for now. The first one he wanted to seduce was the red head. She would receive flowers tonight from a secret admirer. His plan would be set in motion.

-LISTP-

"That was an excellent performance, tonight, Bella." Victoria told her this after she gave her a big hug. The ladies were in the dressing room, changing into their street clothes. There was a small after party at a restaurant following their show tonight. Most of the dancers were too excited to go home after a performance. They had all grown very close over the past year.

"Thank you, Victoria," Bella remarked. "Was that a knock at the door?" She walked over to open it, and there was a delivery man holding an oversized flower bouquet. She took them from him and handed them over to her friend once she read the tag.

"Wow! No one has ever sent me flowers after the show. It's from a secret admirer. Who would send these to me?"

"I don't know. What about that guy you had coffee with last week?'

"Alec? It can't be him. He wasn't really interested in me."

"Whoever it is, this person must really be interested in you. I've never seen this many flowers in an arrangement. He's really interested in you, Vicky."

Bella walked out of the main dressing room toward to bathroom. Her dance routine was among the very best of the troupe. She was probably the best dancer of them, but she was humble about her abilities. Belly dancing had become her life many years ago. It was more than her life's work; it was her heart's calling. She had put everything she had into her art so that she could forget the pain. She stood looking in the mirror of the bathroom remembering when she used to get flowers almost every week. Her bedroom always had a vase filled with irises. They were her favorite flower, and he had never forgotten that fact. She had saved some of the blossoms by pressing them in wax paper between two heavy books.

She could not stop the traitorous tears that were falling down her cheeks. He was still there, ever present in her heart. There was no way that she would be able to push him away. There were moments when she wanted to do nothing but hate him. But that was impossible because she still loved him, more than she wanted to readily admit. Bella had curled up next to the wall as she thought about him. They had a bright future, filled with possibilities. If only his family had not stood in the way of their love, everything would be different now.

Victoria walked into the bathroom, gasping when she saw her friend crying on the floor.

"What is the matter, Bella? Are you ok?"

"I will be fine. I just got caught up in a few sad thoughts. It's nothing that I want to dwell on right now. Are we still going out for a late dinner? I'm starving."

-LISTP-

The following day…

Detective Edward Cullen was exhausted, but that was a side effect of his job. He ran his fingers through his thick auburn hair as he studied the case file again. There were several reports of a suspicious man harassing women near the fine arts performance hall. He was described as having blonde hair pulled back in a low pony tail, and he looked rather unkempt. With a city as big as Seattle, it would be challenging to find him based only on this information. There were other cases he needed to pay attention to besides this one.

He knew what it was that drew him to these incidents, though. The woman that he loved with all of his existence could have been harassed by this character. She was at the performance hall frequently because she was an amazing belly dancer. Edward kept every review he could find on Bella Swan's bi-weekly performances. It was only a matter of time before her career would take off, and then she would leave the city behind.

She had owned him since that day he watched her performance in college. The raw talent she had was visible in every shimmy sway of her hips. There were plenty of other young men watching her dance, but he felt the urge to claim her as his. They began seeing each other after that day and soon fell happily in love. Bella was the softer side of his life, infusing it with her vibrancy. She supported his dream of becoming a detective, and he loved her fantasies involving hand cuffs and questioning.

Their love was brought crashing down around them by his family. His parents, Carlisle and Esme Cullen, hated her from the moment he brought her home for Sunday brunch. When she told them she was a dance major, his father nearly choked on his Perrier after hearing this. It was a disastrous meal, but Edward found a way to brighten her mood. He drove to a flower shop and bought every iris they had in stock for her. She had mentioned they were her favorite flower. Every week, he brought her at least one bouquet of them. It had become one of their traditions.

They had forbidden him to see her because they felt she was below him. Bella came from a working class family, and, in his parents' eyes, they were below the Cullens. This infuriated him. The woman of his dreams was everything to him, and the fact that his parents thought she was below him made Edward feel white hot angry. They added injury to the situation by tampering with his opportunity to fulfill his career dreams. Carlisle threatened to tell the special law enforcement division various lies about his son's past. He would never have the chance to become an investigator if they believed any of these falsehoods.

Edward remembered the day he told Bella all of this information, and it crushed her to see him loose his opportunity. She loved him so deeply that she was willing to sacrifice herself in order for him to realize his goal. Neither one of them wanted to walk away, but there was no way she could live with her self if he lost this.

All of these memories flooded his mind, as though everything had happened yesterday. He was brought back to the present when the phone rang. The head of the department wanted to see him, as well as a few other detectives, in his office. He grabbed his coat just in case he had to leave afterward. There was a serious look on the chief's face when Edward walked inside.

"We have a new case on our hands. There was a dead body found in the Cherry Laurel Apartments. It was a female, mid- twenties possibly. I need to get two of you out there this afternoon. The forensics department needs to have the evidence to begin their research. Cullen, you and McCarty need to get over there."

Emmett McCarty was eager to take on any new assignment. He and Edward trained at the academy, and they worked well together. It was not uncommon for them to be paired for assignments. Emmett had a sarcastic wit that added a touch of levity to Edward's serious manner. They walked out of the building together silently toward the parking lot.

"Hey Em, do you know where the Cherry Laurel Apartments are?"

"I think they are about five miles away, down near the university. Are you okay man? You've been quieter than usual today. What's up?"

Edward had never divulged his relationship with Bella to him. It was hard enough to think about it, let alone talk openly about the woman who owned him. He sighed deeply as he tried to get comfortable in the police cruiser.

"I've just got a lot on my mind lately. How are things with you and Rose?"

"She is amazing, Ed. I don't know how I lived before she was in my life. I'm thinking about asking her to move in with me."

"Rose would have to be seriously in love with you to live with you, Emmett. Your place is always a mess. Does she know that you are incorrigible?"

"That's just part of the Emmett McCarty Shizzazle. I made that one up myself, Ed."

"Shizzazle? If you weren't one of my friends, I swear I'd drop you off at the hospital to let them observe you. I think we're here."

The complex had numerous police officials around it. There were quite a number of people just milling around, wanting information about their dead neighbor. After the detectives walked into the apartment, they headed straight into the bedroom. The victim was tied to the bed wearing a jeweled bra. Edward looked over her as he put on gloves to examine her. She had on a layered, gauzy skirt that was low on her hips. He checked her nails to see if she had anything under them. There were stab marks across her chest. Once he obtained a plastic bag, he untied her wrists and began placing the evidence in a bag. Emmett was taking various pictures of the scene when he noticed something under her bed.

"Ed, what is that near your left foot? It has a square shaped and I think it's black."

Edward leaned back on his legs and looked down under the bed. He reached under and felt a something cool to the touch. He pulled it out to discover he had a small video tape in his hand. Emmett gave him another evidence bag to place the object in to take back.

"We'll look at this when return to the department."

-LISTP-

Bella was shaken up and visibly upset since she heard the news. The last time she saw Victoria was the previous night when she left with her secret admirer. He bought her several drinks and offered to take her home. She could not remember if she mentioned his name. She was happy for her friend when she left, and they talked about getting together later on today after rehearsal. Now Victoria was dead.

Their producer, Philip, had called each of the dancers to tell them the disturbing news. He offered to let them stay home today, but Bella had to find a way to handle her grief. Dancing was her outlet. She felt at home on the stage or dance floor. As she drove to the performance hall, she passed the apartments where Victoria once lived. The place was covered in law enforcement, but Bella considered it no less. Philip's description about the murder was vague. He was given few details.

For a moment, she wondered if Edward was over there at the scene of the crime. He could solve any mystery she concluded. Lately, her mind roamed over to thoughts of him, and her heart felt heavy. They could not be together because his family thought so little of her. His career would be in jeopardy if Carlisle had suspicions about Edward being close to her. This was not the time for her to have a breakdown. She had to get to the hall and work it out there.

-LISTP-

Once they had returned to the department, Edward was eager to see what was in the tape. They gave the chief a full report of the scene, as well as the forensics department. The paperwork was filled out with every detail they could find. Now they were ready to see if the tape had any useful information.

The screen was dark, and the camera wobbled. There was the voice of a man talking about how excited he was to see his girls. A heavy curtain was pulled back to reveal a stage with six women on it. The music began playing an exotic rhythm of drum beats and horns. The man was groaning almost as if he was pleasuring himself while watching this performance. Edward watched the dancers on the stage with rapt attention. They were belly dancing, and he was captivated by the brunette with long hair. She was the only one he noticed. It was his Bella. He had never seen any of her professional performances. He body moved perfectly with the music, and there was he sensation he had back in college the first time he watched her dance. Listening to this guy talking about the dancers made him feel equal parts white hot angry and sick to his stomach.

"That's her, the victim. She's next to the one with the long brown hair," Emmett replied as Edward was thinking. "She had on a bra like the ones they are wearing. What a shame, she could really dance. I need to get down there sometime."

They finished watching the tape, and it was turned over to forensics for them to get fingerprints off it. Edward sat in the chair still lost on thought. He had seen her again, and his love for her was coming back with a vengeance. There was another aspect to this. He walked over to the chief.

"This guy kept talking about his girls. He's going to keep coming back for more, sir. I don't think he's satisfied with just one."

"What are you trying to tell me, Cullen? Do you think we have a stalker situation?"

"Yes sir. It's our duty to keep them safe and protected. If that were my wife up there, I'd want to make certain that she was out of harm's way." This was not the first time he had wished Bella was his wife. "We need to talk to them, especially if they know anything about our perp. I'll go over there this afternoon."

"Now you are thinking like a senior detective, Cullen. Bring back a report after you and McCarty are done."

Edward was not sure if this was the right thing, but he was sure it was the safest thing to do now. He could not have Bella's life at risk.

-LISTP-

The music was loud, just the way she needed it to be right now. Her circle steps and torso rotations were the envy of the other dancers. When the music changed, Bella picked up her zils, which to the everyday person were called finger cymbals. They fit snuggly around her thumb and middle finger. She held them in front of her body as she practiced the Egyptian basic. The emphasis on the bounce and sway of her hips was seductive. Her arms moved up to frame her face. She could feel every note of the music cascading over her as she moved over the stage.

The images of the past day came rushing over her, as well as thoughts of Edward. She had to push him away from her mind. There was still a part of him deep within her soul, and it tore her apart to know he was still so close in all aspects of that word. Had he finally moved on from her? Bella had to turn away from this and focus on the Arabic music that pounded through the speakers. One of the songs Victoria used to practice came on. The delicate sounds of the single reed instrument in the melody were haunting. The intensity was exactly what she had loved about this song. She could see her friend rotating her torso and giving the crowd their money's worth at any performance. Next to Bella, she was one of the rising stars, and her future was unlimited.

Then the music stopped, and the silence began to come over the hall. She had been in the middle of her choreography when it ended. She collapsed to the floor in a sweaty heap. Philip came walking toward her carrying a bottle of water. She looked up at him wondering why he was interrupting her practice session.

"I've been watching you, Bella, and your dancing is only improving. You did not have to come today. I know how hard you all are taking Victoria's death."

"I could not sit around and do nothing today. Dancing is my way of handling whatever reality throws my way. Did it really surprise you that I came here?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm glad you came here because there are some officers that want to speak with you and the rest of the troupe. You can meet with them in my office in a few minutes."

"What are the police here for, Philip? Do they think we had some involvement in Victoria's death?'

"They did not mention that to me, but they said it was important to see each one of you."

"I'll be upstairs in a little bit. I need to cool off."

"Thank you, Bella."

She walked into the main dressing room to change her clothes. The shower would have to wait until she returned home. She brushed through her brown tresses and sprayed it over with dry shampoo. A little lip gloss and a dab of her signature perfume, Pure Seduction, and she was set to go see the boys in blue. It did not hurt that she wanted to brighten their day by sitting near a beautiful woman. It might give them a slight thrill.

She walked up to the second floor, and the sound of a booming laugh startled her. Bella was not expecting to hear that coming from a police officer. The next sound was even less expected as she heard it when she was standing ready to open the door. It was Edward's voice, the sound that never left her mind, and she stood frozen before she could turn the door knob. He was there, closer than he had been to her in years. How could she face him, and what did he have to tell her? This would surely only open up the wounds that time had tried to close up.

Before she could open the door, Emmett pushed it in her direction. He looked down on her and could not fight the smile that crossed his face. "Hey pretty lady! You've had us waiting here too long. Come on inside." He closed the door behind her. "Hey Ed, you have to see this woman. If I did not have Rose to love on, I swear I'd be on her like white on rice"

Before he could turn completely around, the scent of her perfume came over him. Edward had not smelled that in years, but he knew automatically it was Bella. Once he saw her face across the room, the time they had spent apart had vanished. She looked more exotic and enchanting than she had in college. The pull between them had done nothing but increase ten-fold. She was taken by how he still retained the ability to make her melt with just a glance. Edward had only become more handsome over the past three years of their separation. No one in the room said anything for a few moments as they stood looking at each other.

"Officer McCarty, you mentioned that you needed to look over the hall and the entrance. Would you like to do that now?" Philip noticed the tension in the room, and he felt the need to get out for a few minutes. Getting Emmett to walk out with him was a good idea to him.

"Yes sir, Philip. Tell me; are all the dancers this good looking? I might have to come for a show."

They walked out, leaving Bella and Edward alone in the office. The memories washed over them. He walked closer to her and the pace of her breathing increased. She wanted to reach out and touch his face, to caress his skin to see if it was as soft as she remembered it. The desire to pull her in to his embrace was overwhelming. As Edward stared into her endless brown eyes, he saw longing and sadness. He wanted to take away her pain.

"I've missed you, Bella. More than I could ever express."

"We can't do this, Edward. Just tell me what you came here to let me know. Then we can both just walk away before this gets out of hand."

She crossed her arms over her body in a protective stance. He still captivated her, more than she dared to realized. It still was not too late for her to run out of the room and behave as if she had not seen him. He placed his hand on her shoulder as she began to turn to leave.

"Don't go," he said. "I need to talk to you. I'm concerned about your safety, and I want to protect you from danger." Just like that, he had cast his spell over her once again. She was powerless against the fight she was putting up against him. He led her to a chair and sat across from her. His green eyes beckoned her with their quiet longing. The fire was growing inside once again.

How could anyone ever say no to him? Let me know what you all are thinking about this, please. Don't forget to come by my group on fb! groups/163281877153436/?fref=ts.

Love you all! XXOO


	2. Chapter 2 One Kiss is a Dangerous Drug

Chapter 2

He took his souvenir with him as he left the woman's apartment. While thrusting in and out of her body, he ripped some of the beads off her bra. The duct tape that was over her mouth had also come back with him. He had this all planned out from the first day. The red head followed him easily, being a hopeless fool when he said he was her secret admirer. Flattery got him everywhere, including inside her pussy. He loved the tortured look on her face when he fucked her. He played the tape while he raped her, to let her know that he was going to do to the other girls. Then he stabbed her a few times and let her bleed out till she was dead. No one noticed when he left. Now it was time to choose the next one, but the brunette with the porcelain skin and long hair was the one he wanted the most. She was the prize.

-LISTP-

He was not sure how to begin this conversation because there were too many words and not enough time. The air surrounding them had an undercurrent of electricity. He noticed how her breathing had not slowed down since Emmett and Philip had left the room. She crossed her legs slowly when he began to lick his lips.

"One of us has to say something, Edward, so I guess it will be me. Is this about the person who killed Victoria?"

"It's more than that, Bella." He loved having the freedom to say her name aloud again. "The person that killed her may have left a valuable piece of evidence. Someone has been recording the troupe's performances."

"That's not uncommon. Philip does that each time so we can study them to improve our routines."

"This recording is not what I would call normal. The person that did that was making obscene noises during while he was taping this. It was sexual in nature, and we have reason to believe that this guy is not done yet."

"What do you mean not done yet? I know you Edward, so just tell me what is going on."

"We have reasons to believe that the stalker is going to attempt to rape and kill more, if not all of you. That's why I wanted you to stay and let me talk to you, Bella. This guy is liable to do that to you, and, no matter what you think, I still have feelings for you."

Bella was dumbfounded by this news and by his admission. Her mind was reeling from the information she was trying to process. Victoria was not only murdered, but she had been raped. Now this person was going to come after the rest of the dancers. When the enormity of this began to sink in, her body began to shake. Tears were falling down her face.

"Philip did not tell us that he did that to her," she half screamed. "What does this guy want with us, with me?"

He placed his hand on her arm to give her comfort, but all he wanted was to pull her into his arms. The news was obviously scaring to Bella, and she could not resist him as he tugged her hand from her face and lifted he chin. He wiped away the tears that were falling with the pad of his finger… a gesture of sweetness that was not lost on her. The last time they were together, he did the same thing for her when they chose to separate. History was repeating itself once again.

"Bella, look at me, please. I have never stopped wanting you. Not even when I thought you had found happiness away from me."

Once the words had left his mouth, she had to reign in some semblance of control. He was laying his heart in front of her again. The temptation to let him know about her consuming want was hard to deny. It was too much for her. There had to be a method by which they could find a compromise. He was waiting for her reply.

"You walked back into my life so abruptly, Edward, not to mention the intense circumstances that surround us. I can't disregard your emotions, but I need time. Then there is the matter of your parents. I won't let you lose your career just because of me."

"I rarely talk to them anymore, Bella. I discovered some information about my dad that disturbed me. He's a callous, narcissistic fool that thinks he can run peoples' lives. Carlisle has had some unethical business affairs with select members of the police department. It's only a matter of time before he gets caught."

He could see her brows furrowing together as she listened to these revelations. Her distaste for Edward's father had grown exponentially after hearing this. "How long are you talking about? Months? Years?"

"At best, he might have a month or two before someone in the upper level of administration discovers this. I would tell them, but it would be my word against his. My dad still has a little bit of leverage over me."

"And having me back in your life would only add fuel to the fire."

She stood up from the chair and walked over to the wall with her back to him. Edward was not going to stop his pursuit of her now, not after fate had given them another chance. He took one hard look at her backside, and was reminded of a time when she longed for him to take her with wild abandonment from behind. She could hear his footsteps as he came closer to her. He placed his arms above her head, as if he were caging her. Bella turned her body to face him as he moved his mouth to her ear.

"I saw you on that tape, Bella. You were a sight to behold as you moved across that stage. It brought back certain memories that I cherish." He started to kiss her softly across her cheek as her body squirmed. "You have no idea how long I have waited for this," he whispered before capturing her lips with his. She raised her hands to touch his face as he wrapped his arms around her body. Her lips parted when she let out a soft moan and it encouraged him to explore her more with his tongue. He caressed hers as he tilted her head slightly.

"You can't tell me you don't want this," he said between kisses. Her knees were bucking under her as he kept up his steady pace of frantic kissing. It was all she could do to stand up. Lack of oxygen was the only thing that pulled them apart. Their foreheads were touching gently as he ran his fingers over her face.

"I can't lie to you because you would see right through it. You know me better than anyone else, Edward. I'm all caught up in this, and I'm being pulled under."

"I'm waiting right here for you."

"You're making this too easy." She whispered.

"It should be that way. Where is your phone? I am going to program my number in it."

"I'm doing this reluctantly, Edward, but if you feel the need to protect me, then who am I to stand in your way?"

"Now you're thinking clearly." He entered the numbers into her phone and called his phone shortly afterward.

"Are the other girls going to get this special treatment from you as well?"

"Emmett and I will be sitting with each one and letting them know we are assigning a protecting team for them. All of you are at risk right now, but I have to confess … you are my main concern."

He pulled her into his arms again.

He sighed. "This is where you have always belonged, and I'll make certain it never changes."

-LISTP-

Emmett had several questions for his friend as they rode back to the station. He and Philip returned from the performance hall to find Edward giving a certain brunette a kiss on the hand, and she looked smitten as she dashed out of the door and down the stairs. He knew his partner was good, but did he really work this fast with women?

"Hey man, you have to tell me what happened while we were gone."

"It's a long complicated story, Em. She's not just any woman. Bella Swan is the woman I love."

"Is this a love at first sight thing? Don't get me wrong, she's hot. I just didn't think that would happen to you."

"It's not love at first sight. We met in college and fell in love."

"Now I am confused, Ed. Why aren't you together if you love her?"

"That's where it gets complicated. Let's go get some food, and I'll explain everything."

-LISTP-

About an hour later, Emmett felt far less confused than he had in the car. Edward was relieved to finally tell someone he trusted about her and his parents, and they agreed to keep the information about Carlisle's involvement confidential. As they got up to get back into the car, Edward heard a familiar ringtone and he pulled his phone to his ear.

"Bella, are you okay? Are you safe?"

"Yes I'm fine. I knew you wanted me to call you when I got home."

"No suspicious men following you?"

"No, not today. I'm just reading my mail and thinking about taking a much needed shower."

The thought of her in the shower sent his mind into overload. It had been too long since he had caressed her body under a stream of water. He had to shake off those thoughts for now or he would never get anything else done.

"If you need me, I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Edward. Just let me ponder things for a while, but, trust me, I have not forgotten our kiss."

A bright smile came across his face.

"Go take your shower. I have to get back to the station, but we will talk soon."

Once he had settled in the car, Emmett looked over at him and grinned.

"You have it bad, don't you Ed?"

"I always have. I always will."

-LISTP-

Bella left the performance hall in a rush. She threw her belongings into the car and sped out of the parking lot. She could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers. She had to think clearly about whatever she and Edward were getting into. There was only one place she could go without interruption where she could do this. She drove past the university and headed for the park. She parked her car and walked into the garden. The warmth of the sun felt good on her body.

She still loved him,of that she was certain, and it was apparent from his actions that the feeling was mutual. How were they going to navigate this situation? It would be impossible for her to walk away from Edward after this encounter. The complications and danger that were surrounding them were building the frustrations inside her mind. She wanted to hate how easily he came back into her life and brought her repressed feelings back to life. Surrendering to him would be easy for her, but Bella was honestly frightened by the prospect of their relationship.

Once upon a time, she lived for Edward Cullen. He was the man who made her feel beautiful. They spent hours lying in each other's arms, making love until the wee small hours of the morning, not to mention the times it was just raw and animalistic. There was a small key that she still had on her night table as a reminder of a time when he had used a set of handcuffs on her. He left it at her home just in case the situation would arise again. These lingering memories were causing her to ache for him. When he enclosed her against the wall, she felt a rush of desire that was only satisfied when he kissed her.

Then there was the matter of Edward's parents. He told her that he no longer spent much time with them. Yet all it would take would be for one of them to learn that their son was involved with her again. She wondered what the repercussions would be if they found out. Could his father have him removed from the department? Carlisle had always wielded some form of authority over people, but she doubted how authentic it was. Now that she knew he was as immoral as she had believed, there was hope for them. He would eventually be ruined by his actions, and there would be no room left for him to ruin Edward. She could live with his parents dislike as long as it did not affect him.

Once she was settled on this, her thoughts ran over to her personal safety. Thinking about what happened to her friend sent shivers down her spine. This stalker could be lingering around any corner. There was the distinct possibility that he was going to attack her or one of the other girls. She knew Edward was serious about this threat and even more serious about protecting her. It slightly thrilled her to know he harbored intense emotions about her three years later after they separated.

She came to her resolution, walked to her car, and drove home. All the while, Bella never noticed the slight sound of a camera clicking.

-LISTP-

Edward had always enjoyed his job, but now he was glad he had access to public information. Finding Bella's address was easy; now he could have flowers delivered to her. Of course he chose the purple irises because he knew it would make her melt. There were other ways he wanted to make her melt, but that would involve something other than flowers. He settled on three dozen for now.

That night, he lay in bed thinking endlessly about her. It was the same as most evenings, but it was different now. He knew where she lived. Her phone number was in his phone. It was as easy as picking it up to hear her soft breathy voice invading his ear. Next to the lamp was a picture he saved from college. She was wearing a red dress that had thin spaghetti straps. It was above her knees, revealing just the right amount of her dancer's legs. He recalled every detail of that night…where he put her dress after taking it off, the look on her face as she rode him, the intensity of their shared orgasms. Now those images were taunting him.

It was just before midnight, and he was dialing her phone. He could no longer hold back from talking to her, even if she told him she would speak to him later.

"Hello Edward. Do you still have a touch of insomnia or do you like calling people late at night?"

"I'm sorry, Bella, but I had to talk to you. Your voice is beautiful and I wish I had told you that earlier."

"Thank you. I apologize for answering the phone the way I did. Sleep is a bit evasive tonight for me too. Were you calling to make sure I am safe?"

"I will always be concerned about that, but I really wanted to hear your voice."

"By the way, I received the flowers, Edward. The delivery man told me they were from you and not a stalker. The look on his face when he told me that was priceless."

"I did not want you to think he was sending you flowers. Have you had time to ponder things?"

"Edward, I had time, and yes, you have been on my mind. I tried to hate you, but I don't have to will power to do that any longer. I threw myself into dancing so I could stop thinking about you. There were too many reminders that were all around me. I even moved out of my old apartment into a new home where you had never set one foot inside in the hopes that it would help. Nothing worked. You were still there. Now we are at a crossroad."

Neither one said anything for a moment.

"I am betraying my sense of logic when I tell you that I can't hold back any longer. My love for you is stronger than pride."

"You can't imagine the impact of your words right now, Bella. I've never had one moment where my feelings for you waivered."

"You were always the one I wanted, but I am so afraid for us. What if this stalker does something to me and you aren't there. I can't simply stop living my life because he's out there. "

"I want you to keep on living and dancing, baby. If I have to, I'll arrange for an officer to watch your home in the morning. We might have to do that for all of you."

He heard a soft giggle from her.

"I love that sound. I've missed it, but why are you laughing?"

"Because you called me baby, Edward. I couldn't help it."

"You need your sleep now. I've taken away valuable moments from your slumber."

"You always were the gentleman. "

"Always for you Bella… but I remember your fantasies… all of them."

"You make me blush with your words, Detective Cullen."

"I hope to see that up close and in person in the very near future soon. Goodnight and sweet dreams, baby."

"Good night."

She set her phone down on her table and clutched her pillow next to her body. The last clear thought she had was of his seductive green eyes. Edward, on the other hand, chose to take matters into his own hands when he walked into the shower. He took the shower gel and washed his body, imagining it was Bella there with him. Her curves would call out a siren's song to him, and he would lavish her with his touch. He closed his eyes as he grabbed his cock, rubbing his long fingers over the head. She would eagerly suck him till he felt his orgasm approaching. Then he would turn her body around and take her against the shower wall. Edward wanted to feel her slick, wet walls around his cock. As he focused on that, he felt his eruption take over and he yelled her name aloud. He would never have enough of her.

I am blown away by the amazing reception I have received for this story! Reading your comments thrills me. Detectiveward seems to have won you all over. He has been rather chatty with me. Please let me know your thoughts! XXOO

"


	3. Chapter 3 Candlelight and Strawberries

Chapter 3 Candlelight and Strawberries

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

This story has a hold on me now, and I know you all love it. Kitty Masen, thank you for being the best beta a writer could ask for! Hold on, you all, things are going to get more intense….

He developed the pictures after returning to the seedy, run down house he lived in. He studied the pictures of her after they developed. She looked so innocent in the park. When he saw the peak of her flesh as she stood up and stretched, he brought his hand over his erection, and he rubbed his throbbing cock till he came. He wanted her soon, but he had to follow his plan. Another girl was going to have the honor of being his second. He had to practice to make sure he could get everything right when he finally had her tied to the bed, whimpering, begging for him to end her life. He'd make sure to thoroughly fuck the shit out of her before he stabbed her, enjoying every second of her death. He shuddered just thinking about her last _sweet _breath. A decision was made. The one named Angela was next to meet him.

-LISTP-

All of the dancers were ushered upstairs to talk with the detectives when they arrived for practice the following morning. They shared the same disturbed look on their faces. This situation had taken a dark and frightening turn. It was no longer about Victoria; it involved each one of them. They would have officers watching over them for the time being. Bella noticed a police car parked near her house when she left this morning. Edward told her he would make sure she was safe.

It was a challenge for them to watch over the tape and see their friend dancing as though she was without a care in the world. The box of tissues was freely passed among them. Philip hoped this would distract them from the gravity of the situation. Once they were done with the review, the girls went into the dressing room to change into their practice clothes. Victoria's clothes and personal belongings were still on her table. The flowers she received were starting to wilt.

"Bella, can you help me zip this up?" Lauren was having difficulty getting her zipper lately.

"Are you sure you aren't pregnant? For the past few weeks, you've said that your pants were getting tighter."

"Don't tell Philip, but I hope this time around I am. Michael and I have been trying for months now. He wants a baby as much as I do. I'm going to get a pregnancy test after rehearsal."

"Let me know either way. Are you sure you are feeling okay with everything that's happened?"

"What else can we do, Bella? The police are looking for him, and we have protection. I'm honestly fine."

She gave her friend a hug. "We are here for each other. If you need to talk, Lauren, just pick up the phone."

"I will, but I think Philip wants us to get out on the stage. "

"Would you tell him I'll be right out, please. Thanks." She took one last look in the mirror and fluffed her hair. It was good to get back to some form of normality.

-LISTP-

Edward and Emmett were knee deep in the details of this case. They came to the conclusion that the man harassing women around the performance hall was connected to Victoria's death. There were few clues for them to go on, and the last report filed was over two weeks ago. Emmett was looking through the data base searching for someone who fit his description. He came across a few leads, and he shared them with his partner.

"This guy has a prior arrest for stalking, but he has not committed any other crimes. He fits the description."

"How old did they say they thought he was?" Edward looked over the report. "He's in his mid to late twenties according to three out of the four women who were harassed. What about the other ones you found?"

"I found two other guys, and one of them was arrested for attempted rape two years ago. Do you want to talk to the chief about bringing them in for a line up?"

"Yes. The sooner we can find this guy, the better off we all will be."

-LISTP-

It took a few hours, but five men were nervously waiting behind a double sided mirror, waiting for their cue. The chief had contacted the four women to come down to the station to identify the man that harassed them. Ironically, each of them had long brunette hair, and Edward filed that bit of information to the back of his mind. Every time one of them walked into the room, they were given enough time to look over each of them after each one said "We'll be happy together." It was the phrase the man used when he approached them.

None of the victims could say beyond a shadow of a doubt that any of the men in the lineup was the man that harassed them. One of the women said the man who was arrested for attempted rape bore a slight resemblance to him, but she was not certain. The men were dismissed afterward, and the women left the department.

"This case is eating away at you, isn't it Cullen?" the chief inquired.

"You know it is, Sir. I can't leave something of this magnitude unsolved. "

The chief sat down across from him. "That's one of your strongest traits. You are one of the best on the force. Don't ever second guess yourself."

"It's as if we have to sit and wait for him to do something. I'd rather be out looking for him than just sitting around. "

"It's been a long day and you need to go home and relax. This will be waiting for you in the morning."

His thoughts ran to Bella. "That sounds like a great idea, chief. I'll see you in the am."

-LISTP-

He was outside of the performance hall parked on the road, waiting to see her again. It was risky being here, and he saw the police cars around the place. He knew which ones were the unmarked vehicles. No one was paying him any attention. He sat there with his small camera focused on the entrance the dancers used. He had cut his pony tail off so that he would not be recognized as easily. A silver Volvo pulled up near the door, and a man stepped out blocking his view. The man walked over to one of the police officers and talked with him. He saw the tall man looking over at him, but then the girls started exiting the building. The tall man stopped looking. He saw the girl named Angela. He made sure to get a good close up of her face because he needed it to jack to off later. His mouth watered when the wind whipped her short skirt up a few inches, but his cock hardened when he saw the brunette…his brunette. He wanted to grab ahold of her long hair and pull it till her head was facing his. Then he saw something that angered him. The tall man driving the Volvo was walking over to her and hugging her tightly. She was looking up at him smiling. She was going to pay for that. He never forgot any detail about her.

-LISTP-

Philip pushed them in the rehearsal, having each one to make minor changes to their individual routines. They had to make adjustments to the group routines since they lost Victoria. He wanted them to feel comfortable with the new steps. Bella stayed busy with practicing ribcage and torso rotations. Her mind had cleared considerably in the past twenty four hours. She was comfortable with her resolution about having a relationship with Edward. At times, she imagined him in the audience, watching her as she performed. She had given him a private show on occasion, but he told her on several occasions that he loved bragging about her public performances.

After several hours of dancing and stretching, it was time to call it a day. Philip could only ask so much of them. Some of them would come by tomorrow to work with him. He could always count on Bella to come in at least five days a week, except the weekends when they had a performance. He knew she could easily leave the troupe behind and move to Los Angeles or New York City and further her career. This frightened him to a degree since Victoria was gone. If Bella left because she was afraid, he would have to find new dancers to fill mighty big shoes.

He pulled Bella aside to ask her a question before she went to the dressing room.

"Are you feeling confident about the program?"

"Yes, I think it's flowing well considering the adjustments we made. What's going on right now? You have this look that makes me have doubts."

"I'm concerned about losing you because of this stalker. Bella, you have immense talent, and it's only a matter of time before you leave us behind. What I'm trying to say is that I want you to stay here permanently. If you want a pay increase, consider it done."

"Philip, you have no reason to worry about me. I have no desire to leave Seattle right now. This is my home, for better or worse, and some crazy stalker is not going to scare me away that easily. "

She gave him a quick hug.

"No worries," she said as she walked away.

-LISTP-

Edward was more than happy to buy another dozen irises for Bella. He missed the glow that appeared on her face when he gave her a token of his love. Taking a chance that she might still be at the theater, he drove over hoping to surprise her. Seeing her car there brought a smile to his face. He parked his Volvo, and he saw that the police officers assigned to security detail were on duty. One of the men got out as Edward walked over and they shook hands.

"Hey man. Has everything been quiet today?"

"Yes sir, the ladies have been inside for several hours. No one was approached when they arrived. Traffic has been steady. A few cars have parked on the side of the road, like that one over there." He pointed at a beat up buick.

Edward looked over at the car to study it, but then he heard the door open. The officer said goodbye and walked back to his vehicle. He saw her face light up once she stopped looking through her bag and looked in his direction. The wind picked her hair up whipping it around her face. She was not expecting him, but it was a thrill to see him waiting for her. His arms were wide open, waiting for her to be in them. She fit perfectly as he embraced her tightly then he guided her over to his car. The sweet look in her eyes was everything he hoped to see when he gave her the irises.

"They are beautiful. What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to surprise you, Bella, and I want to ask you if you would like to have dinner with me tonight."

"Are you sure it's just dinner you want, Edward?"

"I want anything you are willing to share with me. Do you need to go home first?"

"I'd really like to take a shower and change my clothes. Would you like to follow me?"

He knew it would be far too tempting to be in the same house with her while she was showering. His will power was diminishing rapidly.

"Let me run home first. I am cooking dinner for you, and I have to start getting things ready for us."

"It sounds delightful. Give me about an hour and I'm all yours."

He leaned down to her ear, placing a light kiss on it.

"You've always been mine, baby," he whispered. "I'll be at your place in one hour."

He walked her over to her car and made sure she was well on her way before he pulled out of the parking lot.

-LISTP-

The water felt good on her skin as she rinsed off the sweat and grime of the day. Bella ran her hands over her body, imaging it was her beloved Edward's nimble fingers tracing her curves. His words echoed in her mind as she stroked over her nipples, feeling them harden. In her mind's eye, she could picture him spreading her legs apart, teasing her sensitive clit over and over till she begged him to let her come. She began to run her fingers over her clit, enjoying the sensation, before she dipped them into her wet pussy. As she pulled them in and out, she longed for the feeling of his mouth exploring her. Bella felt her orgasm take over as she thought about coating his thick cock with her cum. She stood under the water allowing her body to recover for a few minutes. He already had her breathless.

Once she had dried off from the shower, Bella rubbed lotion on her skin and slid on a strapless bra and silk thong. She wanted to feel as beautiful as possible in his presence. Her makeup was soft, perfect for candle light, which she had the feeling would be part of the ambiance. Edward always made the time they spent together romantic and amazing. She slid on the short red dress that fit her as well as it had in college. She knew it would bring back memories for him. Her satin kitten mules completed the look.

While she walked down the hall, she heard a knock on the door. The butterflies fluttered through her stomach as she opened the door. She was speechless as he stood in front of her wearing his signature all black. She did not care what was on the menu so long as she got to be near him. Edward was struggling to say anything remotely coherent as he took in her beauty. Bella was wearing the dress he was thinking about last night.

"You look handsome," she said before she reached up to brush his hair out of his face. "I'm ready…for you to take me…to dinner."

She wrapped her arm in his. "Bella, you are enchanting, and I am fortunate that you wanted to have dinner with me. Thank you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Edward. What is for dinner?"

His mind was not on dinner when he helped her into the car. The look of her long, lean legs made him want to feast on her instead.

"I have some potatoes in the oven, and there are steaks on the grill keeping warm. When we get there, I just have to pull out the salad and set the food on plates. Does that sound good to you?"

"It sounds delicious. We had an extra challenging practice today, so I am starving."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'm sorry your producer pushed you so hard today. He seemed like a nice guy to me when I met him."

''Philip is nice, but he has the business on his mind too often. He asked me today if I was going to move soon because he thinks I have enough talent to move to a different city. Then he mentioned the stalker."

Edward wondered if she wanted to move. It would hurt him if she made this decision, but he was going to support her always.

"Can I ask you what you told him?"

She turned her head to look at him instead of the road. "I'm not going anywhere, you sweet man. As much as I love dancing, the thought of living in a different city does not settle well with me. There are other reasons that I want to stay here that have nothing to do with my career."

Her words gave him a sense of calm and happiness.

"Could it be that I am one of those reasons?"

"I would not be in your car right now if you were not my main reason for everything I do," she responded. He was thankful that he was back at his house because he was ready to spend a quiet evening with his beauty.

-LISTP-

Bella marveled at the interior of his home. The walls were a rich chocolate color, which gave the rooms a cocoon feeling. There was a luxurious L shaped sofa in a dark teal that she wanted to curl up in next to him. He had pictures of them from their time in college on the mantle. The sound of his voice brought her back to the present.

"Do you still like a glass of wine with dinner?"

"I would like a small one, Edward. I don't drink very often, but tonight is a special occasion." She knew more than a little alcohol would impair her ability to stay in control. If anything were to happen tonight, she wanted to be completely alert to enjoy every second of it.

"Dinner is served, Bella."

She walked into the dining room and he pulled out her chair out for her. He sat down next to her, but before he took a bite, he lifted her chin. "This is what I have been waiting for, baby. I would repeat every moment of the past three years so that I could do this." He pressed his lips on her mouth, softly, holding back just enough for the moment.

"I'm glad you did not wait another minute to kiss me, Edward." She looked up at him through her dark lashes. "You weren't the only one who felt the weight of our separation. It's over now and we have much to look forward to."

-LISTP-

While he was taking care of the dishes, Bella excused herself to spend a few moments in the bathroom. He kept gazing at her throughout dinner, and it seemed everything he did was fanning the flames of desire. How far was she willing to go tonight? Having Edward this near to her for more than a few minutes was causing her to want him now more than ever.

Edward had the same question on his mind as he lit multiple candles around the den. She would look ravishing in the candlelight, but he was not going to force anything. The fact that they were together again was wonderful. He had his girl back, and there was nothing that could make him happier. Except if he could solve the stalker case, but he left that at work. Tonight, he was going to only focus on Bella.

She walked into the den and softly gasped. The room had an inviting glow, and Edward had the look of love on his face. He stretched out his ling arms for her and ran his arms over her shoulders.

"Are you cold? I can feel chill bumps on your skin."

"It's not because of the temperature, Edward. It's the nearness of you."

He pressed his lips softly to her forehead. "Come sit with me."

There was a glass bowl of strawberries on the table.

"I thought we could enjoy dessert here." He picked up one of the ripe berries and brought it to her mouth. She did not open her mouth yet, but purposely let it linger on her lips. Then she parted her lips as he stared into her brown eyes and took a small bite off the end. Feeding her was sensual. She licked around the next strawberry, which caused him to move closer to her. After she had placed it in her mouth, there was nothing to stop him from pulling her into his lap. He greedily sucked on her neck,

"You drive me to madness, baby. This dress you wore tonight looks sinful on you. Why did we ever wait this long?"

"We had to wait because the time was not right; Edward, we have each other now. I want to feel your hands on me."

"How far are you willing to go tonight, Bella? Honestly, wild horses could not drag me away from my bed if you were in it, but is it too soon?"

She took his face in her hands and searched his eyes.

"I can't resist you much longer. It's all I can do to keep from asking you to take me to bed. There are other things we can do in the meantime."

"Tell me what those things are that we can do. Or better yet, show me."

After he said those words, he laid her back on the couch, and they were loss in a deep kiss. Neither one of them could get enough of the other as their hands explored and caressed. She could not help it if her thin straps fell off her shoulders as his lips kissed her collarbone. All it would take would be for the other one to innocently slide down and then he could continue his exploration further south. Overcome with desire, she pulled it down and he stopped kissing her for a moment.

"You're testing my resolve, baby. Can't you feel how hard I am right now? If you pull your dress any further down, I'm taking you to bed."

"Take control of me, Edward. Now."

Her words spurred him on as he pulled her dress off. He wanted to show her how much he wanted her, but he was only going to allow so much tonight. The sight of her dressed in only a bra and panties was almost enough to make him come undone. He was no longer in control of his mouth as he licked the top of her voluptuous tits. She ground her hips into him, and that was something she excelled in. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled her leg over his, and then he ran his fingers over her ass. It was spiraling out of control, and Edward had to stop. He pulled his body up from her, desperately trying to catch his breath.

"What's wrong?"

"If I continue touching you like that, I'm liable to do something we aren't ready for yet. Trust me when I say this, Bella, I want you, and when I get you naked, I will make sure you are thoroughly pleasured."

She sat up and kissed him deeply, letting her tongue explore his mouth. He stopped long enough to take in air as she sucked his earlobe.

"When that time comes," she whispered, "I'll only scream your name because I belong to you, Edward. By the way, I still have the handcuff key." He shot her a look that made her feel every bit of the dampness between her legs.

"Soon, baby. I will have my wicked way with you. Not that I want to, but let me take you home."

She slid her dress back on, and he walked her to the car. It was a quiet drive back to her home, and Edward walked her to the door. After sharing several intense kisses, they said their goodnights. It pained him to walk out of her door, but he had the memories of tonight to stay with him. Before he got into his car, he did a quick visual sweep of the area. Nothing seemed out of place to him, but he had to keep his girl safe. There would be an officer parked across the street in the morning. He drove back home, all the none wiser to the beat up buick that was a few blocks behind, carefully following him.

Something set off his senses as he drove home, and he took a detour into the parking lot of the twenty four hour supermarket. It would be safer for him to be in a public place if his instincts were correct. He sat there in his car for several minutes watching the road. He saw a large jeep and then an older model buick came down the road. He recognized that car, but he could not recall where he saw it. He filed another piece of information in the recesses of his mind. For now, he wanted to return home and dream of Bella.

Things are becoming more intense, aren't they? I love reading your reviews. Don't forget to visit my fb page. groups/163281877153436/ Please let me know your thoughts! XXOO


	4. Chapter 4 Purple Hip Scarf Shimmy

Chapter 4

I am floored by how much you all love this fic! Thank you for encouraging me through your reviews, and thank you, Kitty Masen, for your help. Detectiveward sends you a huge kiss. I am letting you all know that you might want to sit under a ceiling fan or have a tall glass of ice chips handy for this chapter. Where were we?

Bella could almost feel the thunderous applause from the audience when she finished her routine. The lights were bright and then very dull. Flowers were at her feet, and she was searching for Edward. He had to be there. Then an arm stretched out holding a gigantic arrangement. "Take it now" the voice demanded. Another arm reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into a dark hallway. She ran from door to door, calling out Edward's name. The shadowy figure told her he couldn't save her…

Her eyes opened wide and she sat up in bed. This dream shook her to the core. Bella lay back down in bed, but when she closed her eyes, the images flashed across her mind continuously. Tossing and turning was not an option for her. She picked up her phone, confident in the knowledge that he would not care if she called him at this time.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"I'm okay, Edward, but I had a nightmare that I can't shake."

"I can be over there in fifteen minutes if you need me."

"As much as I would love that, I think I just need you to talk to me for a short while, if that's ok."

He really wanted to get in the Volvo right now and drive over. "Tell me what happened in your dream."

After she recalled all of the details, she remembered the flowers Victoria received before she died.

"I don't know if this is significant, but the night before Victoria died, she received flowers from a secret admirer."

"Was that something that happen often, Bella?"

"No, but I do remember talking to her about this guy she was seeing casually. His name was Alec, but I never learned his last name. Do you think he might have a connection to her death?"

"I don't know, baby. Tomorrow morning, I'll talk with Emmett about this. The chief would be interested in this detail, too."

"Thank you for listening to me. I think I'll be able to sleep now."

"Anytime. Would you do me one small favor? Tell me what you're wearing."

She giggled when he asked this question.

"I will only if you tell me what you're wearing first."

"Fair enough. Dark green flannel boxers. That's all." He heard her swallow hard. "Less really is more, isn't it baby?"

It was her turn to torture him. "If that's true, then I think you'll appreciate the fact that I'm only wearing a black thong that has a ruffle around the top." She heard a low growl come from Edward.

"Listen to me and keep these words in your mind, Bella. We aren't going to wait much longer till the inevitable happens. When it does happen, and trust me…it will soon, I will take my time with every inch of your succulent body. I'll make sure that you have every orgasm you want, baby. You can count on that."

It was his turn to hear a deep moan.

"I'm glad you always know what is important. Goodnight, Edward."

"Sweet dreams, Bella."

He headed into the bathroom for another shower since he could not shake the image of her in a black thong with a ruffle.

-LISTP-

He was furious with his brunette. The tall man had been at her home, and then, he had the nerve to pull into a parking lot so he could not be followed. She belonged to him for his sadistic pleasure. Now the tall man was going to make this more difficult. He had to be dealt with soon, but there was another girl he was going to pay attention to for now. He sat outside her house across the street this morning, waiting to see what she did in the morning. There were no police officers around now, and he was using that to his advantage. They only came right before she would leave for practice. He would have a few hours to watch her, but, surprisingly, she came out early. The girl was going for a morning run, and he was aroused by the sight of her wearing running shorts that barley covered her ass. Just a few pictures of her from behind would be enough for him to use later. Knowing that she went for these runs would make part two of his plan work even better than he hoped.

-LISTP-

Edward was in a bit of a hurry to get to the department this morning. The information that Bella shared with him was fresh on his mind. Any leads on this case were taken into serious consideration. After settling in, he went to the chief's office to tell him about the flowers Victoria received the night before her death.

"Thank you for letting me know about this, Cullen, but I'm curious about one detail. How did you discover this fact?"

"I had a conversation with one of the dancers last night, Sir."

"I'm glad to know that she felt comfortable telling you this. May I ask you which one of the dancers talked to you?"

"Ms. Swan called me last night. I programmed my number in her phone when I met her a few days ago. I told her to call me if she remembered anything."

"That was a good idea, and I want you to know you're moving up quickly here in the department. Your reputation is proceeding you, and it's nothing short of exceptional. "

"Thank you, chief, and it means a lot to hear that coming from you. I just want to put the pieces of the puzzle together and solve the crime."

"Well, you excel at that. Now back to work."

'Yes sir."

Emmett came walking in, singing off key as usual every morning.

"What's up, Ed?" He walked into Edward's office, sitting down, placing his feet on the desk.

"Don't you look comfortable?" He knocked his feet down. "I've got some news for us on the stalker case. Bella told me that Victoria received some flowers the night before she was killed. I don't know if it's coincidence or not. She also told me that Victoria was seeing someone casually in the side. A guy named Alec."

"That sounds like something we need to investigate. I'll be sure to thank Bella the next time I see her. How are things between you two?"

"They have never been better, Em. What about you and Rose?"

"I asked her to move in, and she said yes," he said moving toward the door. "She has one problem, though, and it kind of breaks my heart. I have to remove my autographed poster of William Shatner out of the bathroom. You know he's my hero."

Edward looked at his friend with a serious expression for a brief moment, and then he began laughing so hard that he had to grip the desk.

"Seriously man? I knew you idolized Shatner, but I never knew you had an autographed poster of the man…and in your bathroom?"

"The lighting is better in there. I read that in some magazine Rose had lying around her place."

"All I know is that a woman does not want to have William Shatner's face staring at them while they are in there."

"So I should take it down and move it?"

"Only if you want Rose to move in with you." Edward turned on his computer to read his email.

"Oh, the things I do for the woman I love" he bellowed as he walked out heading toward his office.

Downstairs, in the main office of the police department, a small woman by the name of Shelly Cope walked in, and she wanted to speak to someone. The officer at the main desk asked her to have a seat for a few minutes. She was clutching a small notebook that she kept with her. About fifteen minutes later, one of the officers had her to come over to his desk. He offered her a cup of coffee to make her feel more comfortable.

"What can we help you with ma'am?"

"There was a car parked near my home this morning for almost an hour. It seemed strange to me, and I was afraid for my safety. I'm a widow, and I live alone."

The officer opened one of the manila files and pulled out a blank report form.

"Can you give me any details about the car?"

"It was a buick, and it looked like it had seen better days. I wrote down the first few letters of the license plate. The rest of it was too blurry for me to see it."

She handed over the small notebook to him.

"Did you see who was on the car or was there anyone in the car?"

"No, I could not see the person well, but I want to say it was a man. What are you going to do now?"

"Ma'am, there is not much we can do at this point in time. The person did not damage any property, and no one was harassed. We'll keep this information on file if we need it for future use. Thank you."

Mrs. Cope collected her things and walked out of the police department. She was going to keep a watch out for worn out buicks.

-LISTP-

Bella loved the feel of her purple hip scarf around her curves, as well as the clinking noise made by the coins that were attached. It made the practice session more intense and enjoyable. She was working on her new routine, which included two parts and a finale. It was not that difficult for her to memorize the steps. There were various arm and hip lifts in the first part. There was a nice flow into the second part, which included more hip drops as well as a seductive chest circle. Bella focused on keeping the movements as smooth as possible as she isolated her upper body.

She heard footsteps softly padding her way, and she turned to face whoever was walking toward her.

"Oh my gosh, Bella, I am sorry. I did not mean for you to stop your routine. I wish I could adapt to new choreography as quickly as you."

Bella walked over to her friend and gave her a hug. The troupe was always close, but since Victoria died, the bond they shared was tighter. They sat down on the steps that led out to the audience.

"Did you get the test yesterday after practice?"

"I did…I'm pregnant!"

"That is wonderful news, Lauren. Congratulations are in order now. What did Michael say?"

"He's thrilled and over the moon, just like me. We have to move to a bigger place soon. Our one bedroom place is not going to cut it much longer. He wants a yard for our child to play in when it gets bigger."

Bella took a sip of her water. "Are you going to find out if it's a girl or boy?"

"Definitley! I told him that I want a beautiful nursery for the baby. I found a company that sells elegant baby furniture when I looked online last night. They even have blue and pink satin dust ruffles for cribs. I fell in love with them, and Michael is happy if I order one."

She gave Lauren another hug.

"That sounds wonderful, and if I can help you, let me know. What time is it by the way?"

"It right at one, Bella. I need to talk with Philip about this. Are you headed out for now?"

"Yes. I have an appointment this afternoon. I'll see you soon."

"Bye Bella."

After she walked across the stage and into her dressing room, her mind ran over the options she had for tonight. She placed her hip scarf in her oversized bag, and then she perused the selection of beaded bras and matching hip belts. Since she favored the scarf more, Bella had to choose between the black bra and the plum one. She went with the latter choice. As far as the skirts she had to choose from, it was obvious that the purple and silver chiffon one was going to make a statement without saying a word. The mermaid style cut of the skirt was form fitting from the hips to the knees, and then it flared out. The delicate shimmy of her hips would look tempting to any man, but she had her sights only on Edward.

-LISTP-

Throughout the day. Emmett and Edward were busy with the task of contacting the floral shops in Seattle. They were determined to find a connection between the flowers and the homicide. None of the people they spoke to had any one come in to make a purchase that fit the stalker's description at that time. Ironically, after speaking with more than a dozen managers of different shops, the next person that Edward talked to worked at the place he frequented to buy flowers for Bella. He knew the manager, and it took him no time to search through the purchase records from several days ago. According to him, there was a rather large arrangement purchased with cash by a man later in the afternoon. The manager was not there when this occurred, but he spoke with one of the assistants that sold him the flowers. It seems that the customer fit the description of the man who they thought was the stalker. They only had the description of the man who was harassing the women to use for the moment. The manager also told him that he could provide the police with the security tape. Edward told him that he and his partner would be there in a few minutes. He was not going to let this slip out of his hands.

He caught Emmett's attention, and told him about his discussion with the manager. They let the chief know that they were headed out, and he gave them a thumb up before leaving. Once they were in the car, Emmett was practically bouncing with excitement. Edward loved his partner's enthusiasm for this job.

They pulled into a parking space in front if the shop and walked inside. The assistant behind the counter immediately recognized him, and asked if he was on business today. Minutes later, the manager came walking out to greet them. The men walked to the back to view the tape. A grainy image appeared on the screen, and the focus was on the area around the counter. An oversized arrangement was placed on the on the surface, and an average height man was given the flowers. He was wearing a baseball cap, and his hair was pulled back into a pony tail. When he turned around, the bouquet covered most of his body and part of his face. The man was also wearing sun glasses.

Emmett asked the manager if he could make a copy of the tape for them to take back to headquarters. They also needed to talk with the assistant that handled the transaction. The purchase was made with cash, and he told the detectives that the man on the tape was unusually quiet. He only responded with "Thanks." He had a full beard, and he was wearing a long sleeved shirt with jeans. It sounded non-descript to them. The man called in for the request over the phone, and the manger pulled up the phone records from that day. Edward looked over the number and he walked outside to the car. He ran a track on the phone, but it turned out to be a burner phone. Basically, the person that used this phone to order the flowers had a one time, pre-paid phone to use for this one time. This sent off red flags because this would not be normal for someone buying flowers. More of the puzzle pieces were falling into place, and he had the feeling he was inching closer to finding the stalker.

-LISTP-

Once she had finished with her appointment, Bella walked out of the salon, making sure that there was not any one suspicious following her. She looked under her car and around it. Before she got in, she checked the interior as well. Edward had told her to do all of those things to assure her safety. Before driving home, she decided to give her man a call. They had not spoken since last night.

He answered on the first ring. "Bella, are you okay?"

"Hello to you, too. I'm great actually, but I missed the sound of your voice. How are you doing?"

"Emmett and I have been busy today with the lead you gave us. He wanted me to thank you by the way."

"I'll bet you are tired, but would you like to come to my place for dinner? Since you cooked last night, I wanted to return the favor and have you to come over."

She heard the sound of a door closing.

"I'd love to come over baby. You just name the time, and I will enjoy everything you feed me."

"Everything, Edward?"

"Oh yes, and don't be surprised if we don't get very far out of the dining room. I would like to make the most of your table."

"The more things change the more they stay the same, don't they."

He laughed darkly. "Wait until I get you alone… you'll see how little things have changed. If anything, it's gotten more…_intense_."

"I'd like to see how intense it really is, Edward, but you're not the only one who has certain ideas in mind. What I want to do requires more than a kitchen table."

He felt his cock grow harder when she talked like this.

"What time is dinner?"

"You can arrive around six, and that will give me enough time to get everything prepared. I'll see you soon."

"That, you can count on. See you soon."

Bella smiled a devious grin all the way home.

-LISTP-

He was planning to wait a few more days before taking her from the street. She looked innocent when her hair swung in the breeze this morning. While he was in the dark room, he pulled down one of the pictures of his brunette. He laid it next to the picture of Angela's ass, and then he pulled put his cock. Thinking about his plan to get the next girl in bed and tied up was exciting him. He could almost hear the desperate pleas she would make for him to stop before he would cover her mouth. And of course he'd have to tell her his favorite phrase when he abducted her-"_We'll be happy toether."_ He felt his eyes roll in the back of his head as he started to come.

-LISTP-

Bella set the grilled chicken and steamed vegetables on the table, but she was hungry for something entirely different. After a long day tackling this case, she knew Edward would be famished, and she wanted to make sure he was fed. She was more excited than nervous about her plan for the night. She was going to make sure he had a smile on his face, long after he has fallen asleep. Once he saw her private show tonight, he would not be able to hold back any longer. It was natural for them to pick right up where they had stopped.

He knocked on her door at six, and she walked toward it confidently. Before he could say hello to her, she grabbed him by the hand, slammed the door closed with her foot, and pressed him against the wall. Turnabout was fair play for her. Their lips crashed together in a frenzy of desire and passion. She did not just run her hands through his hair; she grabbed it and pulled on it…hard, as they grinded their bodies next to each other. Dinner was quickly becoming an afterthought, but she knew better. He needed his sustenance.

"Good evening, Edward. Are you hungry?" She asked, a little breathlessly.

"Hello Bella. I'll let you answer that when I do this."

He turned her body around so her back was flush with his chest, and he pulled her long tresses to one side. Her body began to move of its own accord when she felt his erection pressing against her lower back. The feeling of his tongue and teeth on her neck was beyond arousing. She wanted him to mark her body as his. Her moans were music to his ears.

"That's what I'm hungry for, baby. You and your sweet moans are the only things that are going to quench my thirst."

She felt another rush of carnal want for him. It was more intense than when they were in college. Maybe that was the only benefit of the time they were apart.

"Before we get completely caught up, let's get something to eat. I just have to pour the drinks. I have a bottle of wine if you want any."

He pulled her chair out once she had returned from the kitchen. The fact that he was a gentleman in so many ways was a turn on for her, almost as much as when he took control of her in bed. She kept gazing at his long, nimble fingers, finding herself lost in thought the multitude of ways he could use them on her tonight.

-LISTP-

"Thank you for dinner, Bella. This is really good. Would you like for me to help you put the dishes away?"

"No, just make yourself comfortable in the den. It won't take me long, and I have a surprise for you."

He stood up as she walked into the kitchen, and he took a hard look at her ass. It felt incredible to press up against her backside earlier. More than anything, he hoped the surprise she had involved some more pressing and grinding. He could hear her in the kitchen moving around quickly as he moved into the other room. The den was furnished in exotic furniture, yet it was very comfortable. He eased back into the burgundy sofa, enjoying the comfort it provided. There were several throw pillows on the floor, as well as an ottoman covered with a beaded shawl. An image flashed in him mind. He could see her lithe body bent over the ottoman as he plunged inside her pussy while he was on his knees. He wanted that to happen…soon.

Bella made quick work of changing into her ensemble, and then she reached for her bottle of perfume. She twirled in a small circle as she sprayed it in the air over her head. The notes of the succulent red plum were rich and it suited her personality. He could hear the music coming from the back of her house, and he remembered that music. Nothing could stop him from finding what his girl was doing. She stood in the doorway of her bedroom, quite content with the knowledge that he would not resist seeking her out. Once he came around the corner, he took three strides with his very long sexy legs and was in front of her.

"Come inside," she beckoned him. "I want to dance for you again."

He made his way over to her bed, and sat back on it, transfixed by the movement of her hips and arms. It had been too many years since he had watched her perform only for his eyes, but, if it was at all possible, she had become even better at her art over the years. She dazzled him with every graceful drop of her hips. She would speed up the tempo of her dance, and then purposely slow it down. He felt the heat in every part of his body. This was sensory overload for him.

The lustful look in his eyes was pushing her on to see how far she could take this. When she began her chest rotations, the growl she heard was only slightly satisfying. He started to unbutton his shirt as she kept moving her arms up and down. Then he took off his belt, shoes and socks. She wanted him to take his pants off so she could see the evidence of how she affected him. He preferred that she be the one to do it, but he snapped the button on his trousers and pulled the zipper down. He knew she was watching everything he did. There was no way he could take his eyes off his girl. The pants fell to the floor and he stepped out of them.

The song was coming to a dramatic end. Her body was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Once the drums stopped beating, he walked over to her. There was nothing holding them back any longer. He assaulted her neck with his mouth as she ran her nails over his back. His hands found their way to the clasp of her bra, and without a moment's hesitation, he removed it. She pulled herself away, teasingly, and she twirled around.

"Oh, baby, it's not good to try and get away from me. I love watching you dance, but when I want to take you, there will be no subterfuge."

She took off her hip scarf and tossed it toward him. He caught it in his hands and set it aside, licking his lips. Bella turned her back to him while she slid her skirt slowly down her legs. He caught sight of her uncovered ass, and he nearly came in his boxers. After it had slid down the length of her legs, he walked up behind her and scooped her body up in his arms. Her naked body had never felt as good to him as the second he lay her down on her plush bed. He had to strip off his boxers as he let his eyes feast upon her beauty. He caught ahold of her wrists and held them over her head while they explored each other's mouths with their tongues. The sensation of her hard nipples against his chest was almost more than he could bear. He had to let her wrists go for him to use both of his hands because her body was calling out for his touch.

"I told you things had only become more intense, baby. I've never wanted you this much."

She mewled like a kitten when he ran his tongue over her breasts. He sucked on her nipples voraciously as his hands moved over the supple curves of her body. Her back arched when he grazed her pussy. He looked up into her face and caught her eyes.

"You have been and will always be mine, Bella. No other man will ever touch you but me."

"Tell me you belong to me, too, Edward. Then make me the center of your world."

"You're the only woman that I will ever touch like this," he said as he began to tease her clit.

"I am all yours, baby. Do you like the way I touch you?"

"Ye-yes."

"You had me all hot and bothered while you were dancing. Was your pussy as wet then as it is now?" His voice was husky.

"No, not..not as…much" she tried to say as he continued to rub the inside of her pussy.

"My, my,my, how is it that you are even more enticing than you were in college? I need to have a taste to see if you are as sweet as I remember."

Edward did not take his time with her now since her body was writhing in pure ecstasy as he licked her clit. He was getting even harder as he licked her warm, wet pussy. The muscles in her legs were getting tighter as he placed his hands around her hips. Bella was moaning his name and other incoherent obscenities as she felt her hips lift off the bed. Everything he did with his tongue was too much for her, and then he pulled the skin up from around her clit to expose it even more to his mouth. Her orgasm shook her body and he tried to hold her down slightly. Knowing that he was doing that only spurred her further into a second wave of erotic pleasure.

He had a smug look on his face as he watched her coming down from her high. They had shared numerous encounters such as this, but it was far better than he could recall. His cock was begging for release as his mouth met hers in a deep kiss. Tasting her essence on her man was getting her aroused again.

"This is it, and there is no turning back," he said after breaking away from the kiss. "I want you to tell me you want this as much as I do, Bella."

"Make me the center of your world again and mark me as yours, Edward. You know I want this as much as you do."

He steadied his body over her and lined his cock with her opening. As he slid inside of her, the feeling of her wet, tight pussy was almost his undoing. There was an internal battle within him to savor every moment of this and take it slow. That was not going to happen, not since he waited three years to ravage her. His movements were rapid, and they were setting off another fire inside of her that could not be contained. He lifted her body up from the bed a few inches when she wrapped herself around him. Their lovemaking had always been passionate, but now it had this erotic edge that they needed. She could stop the clenching of her muscles as her pussy milked his cock, and she screamed his name. He was all tangled up in her voice and her body when he felt his orgasm tear through his body. He could only call out her name when he collapsed on top of her. They were rendered silent for the first time in many minutes.

He listened to the rapid pace of her heartbeat for a little bit longer before he rolled over on his back. Then the sound of her laughter broke through.

"Before you can say anything, Edward, I will tell you that I am laughing because you have made me feel alive again." Their eyes met as she rolled over on her side.

He ran his fingers over her face.

"Baby, you complete me in every way possible, and I know we belong together."

"I love you, Edward Cullen, with every part of my mind, heart, and body."

She had waited to tell him those words, the words she was afraid to speak for years.

"Bella Swan, I love you passionately with every part of me. Forever."

"Forever, my love," she whispered.

He drew her body into his arms as they settled in for a deep night's rest, safe in their warm love.

Anyone else panting? Keep those ice chips and fans close by, you all. This is only the beginning. Let me know what you're thinking, please! XXOO


	5. Chapter 5 Life Force

Chapter 5 Life Force

Disclaimer-I do not own Twilight.

Have you all caught your breath yet? I can only imagine that you all want more of…everything now. To Kitty Masen, you know I will always be thankful for everything you do! *MWAH* You all know the drill, so get your ice chips ready…

He had a screwdriver in his car, because it was better for him to have everything he was going to need with him. The next part of his plan was coming up very soon. The police were still clueless about his identity. The bottle of hair color was sitting on the bathroom counter, and he would use it as soon as he was done with Angela. Now he was going over his plan in his mind.

Tomorrow morning, he would park his car outside of her home, and flatten the tire. It would be parked in a way so that it would not block the driveway. He would have to be able to get out of there once it was all over. Once she came outside for her morning run, she would find him. He would prey on her kindness once she found him without a phone, and offer to bring him inside to let him use her phone. He noticed from studying her pictures that she did not carry one when she ran. Once they were inside, he would put his hand over her mouth and find out where she kept the car keys. Then he would drag her to the bedroom. Using the rope he would have stashed in his jacket, he would bind her to the bed without concern for how it would cut off the circulation in her hands. The duct tape would be over her mouth shortly afterward, and he'd strip her of everything except her bra. The erection he was getting from thinking about his plan was painful. He grabbed his cock and rubbed it up and down with his fist.

He was struck by a moment of genius when decided to take pictures of Angela while she was waiting for him to fuck her. The gloves would come out and he'd rip open the condom pack. He'd shove his fist deep in her tight pussy and get off on how she would have tears running down her face. He grabbed his balls with his other hand while he pictured his cock buried in her pussy. It would be a hard, fast fuck, and he'd get off almost as quickly as he was right then. Then he would pull out his knife and run it over her tits while she watched him. Her bra would be ripped from her chest, and it would be his treasure from this kill. It would be intensely pleasurable to watch the knife going in and out of her chest. He would love to watch her blood splatter on the sheets. He'd take the duct tape off and grab all of his things so there would be no evidence left behind. He would not make the mistake he made last time when he left behind the tape. The location of her keys would be easy enough to find, and then he would remove the license plate of her car with the screwdriver. All that would be left would be to get in the car and quietly drive away. No one would notice him. The police would not arrive for a few hours, which would be more than enough time for him to return home.

-LISTP-

Bella woke up and felt his very strong arms wrapped around her curves and a hungry mouth on her neck. "Edward," she sighed, wrapping her arm around his head to pull him closer. His naked body felt so good this morning, especially when he began grinding his hard cock against her backside.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up so I can take you again, baby. You know I only sleep at the most for a few hours. I could have easily spread your legs apart and fucked you while you were having sweet dreams."

Those dirty words coming from his mouth were making her wet and aroused. She laid her hand over the top of his and guided it down to her clit.

"What is it that you want right now? Do you want me to touch your clit like this or like this?"

He would tease her for a few seconds, and then he would pinch her clit. It was both heaven and hell for Bella as she struggled to answer his question.

"More, Edward, more."

"I'll give you more, baby. Do you want more of my fingers or would you like me to slide my cock into your aching pussy? I know you're wet…the scent of your arousal is something I have never forgotten."

That was all she could take. Her body was on fire with pure need now, and she adjusted it so he could push his cock inside.

"I'm not going to ask you if you want me to fuck you from behind," he told her in a serious voice. "Hold onto the side of the bed, Bella, because I'm going to have you the way you always liked."

He placed his cock at her entrance and wrapped his arms tightly around her. The sound of her desperately panting for oxygen while he thrust in and out were bringing him closer to the edge. She let go of the bed and ran her fingers down to her pulsing clit.

"Watch me touch it, Edward."

He looked down on his beauty playing with herself, and he groaned her name.

"Fuck, baby. Come for me. Let me feel it."

He knew that controlling her made her come undone, and her walls were starting to get tighter around his cock. She felt her body shatter in his arms. She covered him with her cum, and his balls tightened up. His mouth moved to her shoulder, and as his orgasm took ahold, he bit down on her flesh. The sensation of his teeth in her flesh and his thick ribbons of cum in her pussy were like a religious experience.

"Edward, oh, oh, ooohhh," she cried out as he slowed his pace slightly.

He could not let go, not yet, and he lazily drew his tongue across her shoulder up to her neck. The strength of her orgasm was continuing to make her body shake. No other man on earth could ever make her feel this way. She belonged to him eternally, as he was hers forever.

"Bella, you alone embody every dream and every fantasy I have ever had. I love you with more passion than I thought any person could have for another. Time has only increased my unyielding want for you."

He pulled her over on top of his body before she had a chance to respond. He searched her warm brown eyes and found the depths of her soul.

"We'll never be separated again because there is no power left on this planet that can pull us apart. The love I have for you has a life force of its' own, Edward."

Their lips crashed together in a deep passionate kiss.

-LISTP-

After he left to go home and get ready for work, Bella felt energized and alive. She took a fast shower and dressed for her day. An idea had come to her about hosting a memorial for Victoria because she felt it would be a good way to say good bye to her. Before leaving for practice, she grabbed her phone to call Angela to brainstorm.

"Hey Bella. How are you?"

'I'm great actually, Ang. Do you have a few minutes to talk about something?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?"

"I was thinking that we could have a memorial for Victoria at the theater. We need to say good bye to her, and it would be fitting for us to have it there. Maybe we could show some of her routines. What are your thoughts?"

"That's a creative idea, and I agree with everything you said. I was coming in for a session this morning, so maybe we can talk to Philip about it. Does that sound good?"

"Yes it does. I'm headed out in a few minutes. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

She left to go to the performance hall, but the costume she brought with her yesterday was staying put in her close for now.

-LISTP-

They went over the tape several more times to see what details they could pull from it. Images were enlarged but the most information they could take away was that the man had a deep voice. He appeared to be less than six feet tall. The more that Edward looked at the tape and thought about this, he was almost certain that this guy had some role in Victoria's homicide. Now he wanted to know if this same man delivered the flowers to the hall that night. Then he remembered the tape they had found at her apartment. Whoever recorded the performance had to be involved with the flowers. His mind was working at a rapid pace as he connected the pieces together. Was it possible that this person was the stalker? Victoria received flowers from someone she did not know, and then she was dead the next morning. A recording of her performance, maybe from the night before, was found under her bed. He knew this had to be right because this was beyond coincidental. The chief needed to hear this immediately.

Then Edward heard a voice that made him feel sick to his stomach, a voice that could belong to Satan himself.

"Hello, son. I came by to check up on your…performance. We have not seen you in months, and your Mom misses you."

A cold chill ran down his back as he stared into the eyes of his father.

"I have nothing to say to you, Dad."

"How can you just declare that? I just wanted to come by and ask for your support. I will be running a campaign to become mayor of Seattle. You can't be the only one in the department who does not endorse me, especially if you are my son."

"Your blood might run through my veins, but as far as I'm concerned, you have not been my father years now. So I suggest you get out of here now on your own accord or I will be forced to physically remove you from my office."

"I won't forget this, Edward." He turned and walked out of the office.

Carlisle's presence had angered him, and the fact that he was hoping for a thread of encouragement from his son was preposterous. He had a lot of nerve coming down here to ask that. Edward ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm down. His mind ran to his girl and how deep they loved each other.

Where he was serious and grounded, she was dreamy and creative. Her world was the very opposite of his, and it was always inviting. Bella had a certain _joie de vivre_ that he vicariously lived through. There were many times when she was captivated by his vast knowledge of investigative methods and police procedures. Their differences never hindered their relationship; if anything it simply enhanced it.

Now that his mind was clearer, Edward walked into the chief's office.

"Pardon me, Sir, but I want to tell you about a theory I have in the stalker case."

The look on the chief's face brightened when he listened to what he had deduced. He agreed that there was a connection between the person who purchased the flowers and the murder. As usual, he was never let down by Detective Cullen because he was invaluable to him.

"I need you to get back down to that theater and tell the producer you need to see the surveillance tapes if they have any. I'm proud of you. Now get going."

Edward peeked into Emmett's office and let him know about the recent developments. Both of them were more than ready to go find another missing piece of the puzzle.

-LISTP-

Philip was enthusiastic about the idea that Bella and Angela shared with him before they began their practice session. He knew in his heart that they needed to do something in honor of Victoria. She was one of the dancers who had been with him for the longest period of time. He took her death just as hard as the rest of the dancers, but he was containing his emotions in better than they could. Philip's focus was on the business and trying to get things back to normal for all of them.

While looking over his calendar in the office, he received a phone call from Emmett telling him that he and Edward were on their way to talk to him. He walked out of the office and headed downstairs. The ladies were keeping busy with their routines. The detectives pulled into the lot and waked up to them main entrance. Once they were welcomed in, Philip inquired about what was the nature of their visit.

"There was a delivery of flowers made here for Victoria the night before she was murdered. We have valid reasons to believe that there is a connection between them. Where would someone bring a delivery to one of the dancers?"

"Normally, if that were to happen, they would have to get clearance from me. I never saw anyone bring flowers the night of the last performance."

"Do you have any security tapes we can look at, sir?"

"Come upstairs with me."

As they followed Philip upstairs, Edward heard the booming sound of the music from the stage. He was going to surprise Bella once they were done with business. Thinking about how she was dancing right then was dangerous for him. Time to rein that thought in and get back to seriousness.

The video was set up quickly, and Edward was pleasantly surprised to see it was in color. The parking lot was well lit for the patrons, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Cars were pulling in, and people were walking up to the door. A small, four door Honda pulled up to the sidewalk, and a man got out. He walked around to one of the back doors, and pulled out an enormous flower arrangement.

"Stop the tape," Emmett said.

He and Edward took a long, hard look at this person, but he did not resemble the man from the flower shop. Instead of a baseball cap and sunglasses, this man looked more like a delivery man. He had on a striped shirt and dark pants. His face was clean shaven. The shoes were different than the white sneakers that the man from the flower shop wore.

"I also have a camera in the lobby if that might help, gentlemen."

"Do you think he had someone else deliver it for him?" Emmett asked his partner.

"That's the only plausible explanation. This guy is good, I'll give him that, but he'll make a mistake eventually."

"How sure are you about this, Ed?"

"The stalker left behind a tape at Victoria's apartment. That's the first reason I believe he's going to mess up. These people have patterns of behavior when it comes to committing a crime. If we can figure out his pattern, then we can possibly stop him before anyone else is hurt."

"I think I'll start calling you Sherlock from now on. You really are into deductive reasoning aren't you?"

Edward had to smile when he hear this.

"It always just came naturally, _Watson_."

Philip returned to the room with another tape.

"I apologize for the wait. It took me a few extra minutes to find this one."

The man with the flowers was walking inside the lobby, and he looked like he did not know where to take them. He finally set them down on a table, and looked directly at one of the attendants. He handed over the flowers and quickly exited the building. The attendant walked out of view of the camera.

"He did not get authorization to take that," Philip said in a stern voice. He was going to have a talk with the attendant when he came in the next time they had a performance.

"We need to talk to that person. Do you think he could come down here today?"

"Let me give him a call."

Edward hoped that talking with the attendant would give them some insight. They needed another break in this case soon.

-LISTP-

Someone was knocking on the door while Bella was changing her clothes in the dressing room. She heard Philip's voice, and she told him to wait for one moment. The sound of Edward's voice on the other side made her feel flushed. It was an unexpected treat to see him here, and she opened the door quickly. The three of them walked into the room looking for the wilting bouquet. She knew exactly what they were doing, but she could not help but fall a little bit harder for Edward as she watched him do his job.

"Are these the flowers Victoria received, Bella?"

"Yes sir," she answered Philip. "By the time we got back here from the stage, they were already on her dressing table. I don't know how they got there."

"We are taking these down to the department for fingerprints." Emmett said as he lifted the vase.

"I'm taking these out to the car, Ed. Come on out when you are finished."

He and Philip walked out of the dressing room, which left them alone.

Bella was immediately in his arms, and he breathed in her scent of rich plums. This is what he lived for now.

"How are you doing?" He wanted to make sure his girl was safe and happy.

"I was great before, but I'm wonderful now that I'm in your arms again. I've missed you."

He caught her lips in his for a soft, gentle kiss.

"Bella," he said after breaking away, "I have to get back to work, but would you like for me to make dinner tonight at my place?"

"That would be delightful, and seeing you was the best part of my day. Instead of cooking, why don't I pick up something on my way home? You can come to my place tonight, and possibly bring a few extra things with you."

He took her enchanting face into his hands and began to kiss her deeply, caressing her tongue with his slowly. Then he began to move his lips toward her ear.

"Are you suggesting that I spend the night again, baby? Only if you promise me that I can get a…shower in the morning, and I'm not talking about soap and water right now."

His words reduced her to a pool of desire.

"I'll give you anything tonight and tomorrow, Edward. I want to be submissive to your desires."

He wanted nothing more than to take her right then and there in the dressing room. It was everything he could do to keep from bending her over one of the chairs and take her from behind.

"Does this door have a lock on it?" He asked her.

"Why yes it does, Edward." She started pulling her clothes off.

He ran to the door and locked it immediately. He turned to find his girl naked waiting for him.

"You knew you would get to me when you mentioned being submissive to my desires." He unzipped his pants and dropped them along with his boxers. His aching cock was starting to leak.

"Bend over, baby. This is going to be fast, but I'll make sure you're pleasured."

He pushed into her wet pussy, and started riding her at a fast pace. Bella had to make sure not to moan so loudly as to call attention to their lascivious behavior. When he took his hands and grabbed her hips tightly, she could feel him growing harder. It was becoming too much for her.

"You're ready to come, aren't you?

Her walls tightened around him in a vice grip, and he pulled her body closer to his. She wrapped one of her arms around his neck so she could feel his mouth on her. With three deep thrusts, he came hard in thick spurts, and he laid his head down on her back. Both of them were completely breathless when they heard a knock at the door.

"Hey Ed, I've been waiting for almost 10 minutes. Get your ass out here already."

"Hold on, Emmett. I'll be right out."

The benefit of a locked door could never be understated for them.

-LISTP-

There was only one problem in all of this. His brunette appeared to becoming closer to the tall man. He drove past her home a few times last night, and there was his car parked in the driveway. He wrote down the license plate number, and he was tempted to damage the car. He could not do that yet. Since he had his plan to take care of Angela down to the last detail, he was going to find out some information about the tall man.

The first thing he did was to run the license plate number through the department of motor vehicles' web site. He was able to hack into their system easily since his knowledge of computers ran deep. The number belonged to an Edward Cullen. The next step was to do a search on his background. He came across some information that stopped him in his tracks. The tall man was a detective with the Seattle special law enforcement department. He laughed menacingly because this was going to make things more interesting. His brunette would be crying out for her detective to save her. It made his cock rock hard when he thought of how he would destroy the tall man once he killed her. He gave his cock a few hard pulls while he thought about how fucking her and stabbing her at the same time. Imagining the blood all over her tits made him come all over his hand.

-LISTP-

Bella stayed busy until it was time to start warming up dinner. She had the food in the oven, and it was time to change her clothes. Since he had loved it when she mentioned the ruffled thong the other morning, she slid one on and searched for the right bra. The options varied, but her eyes kept roaming over to the black and blue corset. It would fit her curves divinely, and she chose to pair it with a pair of boot cut jeans. The mix of satin and denim was a great blend.

She flipped her head over to brush through her hair, and then she added a touch of gloss. It was all she needed to seduce her man. The clock said it was ten minutes till six, so Bella pulled out the roast and side dishes. Once the food was set onto the dishes, she placed it onto the counter. Edward arrived at six, and he walked up to her door with a smile on his face. He was not expecting her to look as delectable as she did standing there in jeans and a corset. His mouth went dry and he swallowed hard.

"Come on inside," she half whispered.

How was he ever going to sit and eat dinner with her when she was dressed in that manner?

Are you all on the edge of your seat? I could not overload the chapter with too many lemons. More intensity is on the way, lovelies! Come see me over at fb, and please leave your thoughts! XXOO


	6. Chapter 6 The Windmills of your Mind

**Chapter 6 The Windmills of your Mind**

**So much suspense and sexiness! I love reading all of your reviews. They encourage me to get an update out for you all as soon as possible. This fic would not be as good as it is with out my fabulous beta and friend, Kitty Massen! I love you bunches, sweetie! So, Detectiveward, let's share what you've been telling me with the masses…**

She closed the door behind them once Edward had walked into the house. Unsure of his reaction, she was the first to say something.

"Are you feeling alright?"

He walked over to her, and, without a moment's notice, he lifted her up in his arms, bridal style.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I am taking you to bed, Bella, and I am not letting you out that bed until we are both fully satisfied. You can't expect me to keep my hands off you when you are dressed like this."

She let a soft giggle escape her mouth as he set her gently on the bed.

"And what do find so humorous?"

"I planned on seducing you tonight, but I did not know it would work out this well."

He pulled her jeans down as soon as she unzipped them, and he marveled in the sight of his girl. She lifted one of her fingers to her mouth and licked around it while he took off his clothes.

"Would you like some help, Edward? Your aching cock probably wants to be free of those confining pants and boxers."

She got up on her hands and knees and crawled over to him. Thoughts of their earlier love making were in his head. She took the zipper in her mouth and lowered it while he watched her. Her small hands were making quick work of removing the rest of his clothes. Once he was standing naked in front of her, she ran her nails over his back and firm ass. His cock was directly in front of her mouth, and she placed several small kisses all over it. One of his hands was in her hair while the other one was cupping the back of her neck. The soft kisses soon became long licks over his shaft.

"Please suck me, baby. I've wanted this for so long." He sucked in a deep breath of air as she took him into her mouth.

Bella loved the look in his eyes as she had control over him, even if it was just for this moment. Turning the tables on him was a truly pleasurable experience. She hollowed out her cheeks as she slid him further into her mouth.

"Fuck, baby, your mouth is perfect."

Her speed increased in small increments, and then she would languorously lap her tongue over his head. His breathing became more labored as he felt the oncoming wave of his orgasm. She wanted this as much as he did, and she was not going to stop until she could feel his cum sliding down her throat. He groaned out her name once before he came. Greedily, she devoured everything he was offering her.

"Bella, there are no words," he said in between breaths. "I was not expecting that, but I'm thrilled that you did it."

She leaned back on her bed with a look which rivaled the cat that ate the canary.

"Detective Cullen, I am flattered by your compliments. Now you need to eat something before you get the better of me again."

He grinned at her, and it made her melt.

"Since you drove me insane with your oral skills, I have to agree with you. Food sounds really good right now."

He slid on his boxers and they walked together into the kitchen, holding hands.

-LISTP-

"Did you and Emmett find any finger prints on the vase?"

They were finally sitting at the table after several deep kisses.

"We found some, of course, but the ones we found were for a man named Michael Newton. We looked up the information about him, but he seems to be a regular citizen. No prior arrests, no speeding tickets, nothing as far as we could distinguish."

"Do you think he could be the man who delivered the flowers?"

"We think he was the man who made the delivery. The chief wants us to contact him tomorrow. I wanted to tell you something important, Bella, and it has no effect on us. My father came by the department today. He will begin running for mayor in a few weeks, and he wanted my support. In the most polite manner I could find, I basically told him to go fuck himself off."

Bella was frozen in her seat once she heard this news. She would not allow this man to keep them apart. They would fight for their love.

"There is no power left on earth that can take you away from me, Edward. You told me that he won't hold any leverage over you much longer. I believe you completely."

He lifted her hand to his lips. This simple gesture spoke volumes to both of them.

"Thank you for your trust, baby. Internal Affairs has received some disturbing information recently about some questionable activities occurring in administration. That is one of the reasons I think he's in hurry to get off the city council. When the details come out, it will be downhill for him."

"Can I ask you what they are?"

"Basically, my dad is best friends with the head of the entire department, Aro Voltouri. They have been friends since college, and you know how old my dad is. From the evidence I have garnered, it appears that Aro is misappropriating funds and they are getting into my father's hands. In return, he is connecting Aro with prostitutes and possibly drugs. My father started driving an Aston Martin, and there is no way that he could afford that car on his salary. I saw the car parked in their driveway the last time I went over to their house. Mom had redecorated the house. These details started to connect together in my mind. How else would they get the money for this?"

"How did you find this out?"

He took a large sip of his water before continuing.

"I had to do something with my time while we were apart, Bella. Finding out whatever this mysterious information that he had about me was a big focus. I knew if I could figure it out, then I had a way back to you. The best reason I could think that he had was his connection to Aro. Together, they could think of a charge to bring against me. No one would be able to overrule Aro, except maybe the governor, who happens to be one of his cousins, Marcus Voltouri."

The weight of these words hit Bella with a massive impact. She thought about what he said, and it all made sense to her. She jumped out of her seat, and ran over to him, settling herself into his lap. He welcomed her with arms wide open.

"Edward, you have to be the most intelligent man I have ever met. Getting into your mind is a privilege for me, but I know it's also a dangerous place."

He turned his head to look at her, and then he knew what she was talking about when she made that statement.

"You really think my mind is a dangerous place, Bella? Is that because you know the depth of my feelings for you? Or that I would do anything to keep you safe?"

"All of the above," she said as their lips met in a passionate kiss. He sucked on her lips as she brought her tongue out to lick him. Then he entered her mouth and took claim of her. They kissed for several moments, running their fingers over each other. When they broke apart, Edward pushed the dishes on the table out of the way and lifted her body up in his arms. He spread her out on the table, wishing he had a camera to take a picture of his beauty. She never tried to cover her body up when they were intimate, and that made him feel even more for her.

"I want to see you in this again, Bella, but for now, it would look much better on the floor."

It only took a few moments to unfasten the closures, but he slid the satin off her luscious body. His hands went straight to her breasts as he caressed them lovingly. Her nipples hardened under his touch, and he was ready to play with them. He brought his body down between her legs and lightly kissed across her chest. He licked up and down her neck and down to her tits. The soft moans that were falling from her lips were becoming louder. He took each one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking hungrily on them. His eyes never left her face, but his hands found their way down to her ruffled panties. He ran his finger over the top of them, causing her to gasp and lift her body off the table.

"That's quite a reaction, baby. Let me see what you do when I run my fingers under your thong."

He enjoyed watching her body writhing over the table as he ran his fingers over her clit.

"Open your eyes so I can see the desire you have."

Bella opened her eyes and saw pure lust reflected in his.

"Pull them down…please…now. I…I need you to mark me, Edward."

Her wish was his command, and he plunged his tongue into her pussy after he removed her thong. The sweetness of her nectar would unravel any control he had…but it was well worth it. Hearing her moan and scream his name was beyond rewarding. He took two of his long fingers and slid them inside of her wet pussy as he licked his way over to her inner thigh. Her skin was supple and he wanted to follow her orders. After placing several soft kisses, he took her flesh into his mouth and sucked on it intensely. If she wanted him to mark her, than he was going to do a thorough job of it.

Bella could feel the prick of his skin biting her and his fingers curling up in her pussy. His mouth returned to her clit, and she was close to her orgasm. It began to come over her body and her mind simultaneously. Everything was about the intense erotic pleasure he was showering her with over and over. She felt every one of her muscles tighten around his fingers as she fell off the edge, spiraling into the depths of passion.

Her body went limp as she started to come down from the high of her orgasm. Edward pulled his boxers down and scanned her eyes as they fluttered open. He laid his body across hers and kissed her neck. His cock was right at her entrance.

"Did that feel good, baby? Would you like for me to fill your sweet pussy again with my pulsing cock?"

"Please, yes, I want you to dominate me."

When he started to push inside her, she lifted her legs over his shoulders. Her body was under his control now, and she relished in how he did not hold back once he was buried in her pussy. Edward hoped the table was as sturdy as it appeared because he was not going to hold back. Her pussy was deliciously tight around his shaft, and the deeper he went, the tighter it became. His arms were wrapped as tightly around her body: as tight as he could manage in this position. He sought out her swollen lips and covered them with his own. Bella felt her orgasm begin to take over once again, and she wanted it.

He enjoyed every flinch of her walls, and he became caught up in the rapture of her face. Her beauty was magnified when she came apart in his arms. The sensation of their intimacy was overwhelming him. He gave up holding on to the edge and fell off, lost in his girl.

Edward collapsed on top of her after he was spent, and they stayed that way for several minutes. She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing it off his face. He pulled his body up off of her and extended his hand to help her get up.

They stood together in her dining room, embracing each other, basking in the glow of their love.

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, baby, "he said as he cupped her face, softly kissing her lips.

"Let's get this table cleaned up, and then we can go take a shower."

"Let me get my bag from the car, Bella. I forgot to grab it when I got out of the car. A shower with you will be very wonderful. I'll be right back inside."

He pulled on his boxers and ran back into her bedroom to grab his pants. A glimpse of her naked body washing the dishes in the sink was making him feel aroused again. He went outside, and the cool air felt odd to him. Edward looked around, making sure that everything was in place. Still, he could not shake the thought that something was wrong. Maybe it was not here on this street, but he knew intrinsically that danger was in the air. It was imperative that he get his bag and get back to Bella.

She was putting the rest of the dishes in the dishwasher when he walked into the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, he admired her from behind, and then she coyly turned her head to wink at him. His arms were around her body mere seconds later.

"I will always take care of and keep you safe to the best of my abilities," he said in a serious voice. "You are my reason for existence, Bella." He crushed her body tightly to his.

"Remind me to wink at you more often if I can get this type of reaction from you." She smiled as she looked up at his face.

"I had to let you know how I felt, baby. You will never know how important you are to me."

"Edward Cullen, you are the world to me. I worry about your safety every day, but all we have is this moment right now. Let's go take a shower together and snuggle in bed. Maybe if you're lucky, we might have another round in the bathroom."

There was no way he was going to decline any of her offers. The prospect of taking her underneath the warm water was making him harder by the moment. He followed her into the bathroom, more than ready for her again.

-LISTP-

He pulled his car in front of her home several minutes before she was going to walk out for her run. He punctured the tire a few blocks before he arrived, and now it was almost completely flat. Getting out of the car, he pretended to fake interest in his tire. Then he heard footsteps, and hear a voice.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?" She stood in front of him.

"Thank you. I think my tire is flat, and I left my phone at home. I don't suppose I could use your phone inside could I?"

"Sure, come on in. I'm sure this will only take a few minutes."

He followed her into to the house. As soon as she closed the door behind them, he grabbed her around her neck and placed his hand over her mouth.

"Where are your keys? I want them and you're going to give them to me."

She was fighting him as much as she could, but he was over powering her with his strength.

"Where are the fucking keys?"

Angela tried to point to a hook over near the door. He grabbed them and shoved them into his pocket. He dragged her back to the bedroom, and threw her body on the bed. He immediately grabbed the duct tape and placed it over her mouth.

"We'll be happy together, "he said in a mocking voice.

He tied her hands to the finials on either side of the headboard. It did not bother him that she was getting rope burn. Watching her squirm while he ripped off her running shorts was getting him very aroused. He took out the camera that was stashed in one of the pockets of his jacket and began to take pictures of her. The sick sadistic pleasure he was taking in while she was laid out for him to fuck her was making him harder by the moment. He put the camera away and pulled his cock out. Before he could fuck her, he slid a condom over it and placed gloves on his hands. Then he placed his fist right at her pussy and shoved it in as far as possible. The tightness of her walls was enough to get him off, but he was going to hold out for a few minutes. He pulled his fist out, and delighted in the fact that there was blood all over the glove. Tears were running down her race and her entire body was shaking. Now he had to fuck her because he was not going to last any longer. He shoved his cock deeply into her and came after a few brutal thrusts.

Now he pulled his knife out and ripped her bra off. He ran the blade over her nipples, tracing circles around them. Then he could no longer wait. He took the knife and stabbed her multiple times over her chest. The sight of her blood covering the bed was making him feel excited again. Knowing that she was as good as dead now, he took the ropes off and ripped the tape from her mouth. He shoved all of this into his pocket, along with the condom and gloves into a plastic bag he had with him.

He walked out of the front door toward the car, taking out the screw driver. It was only a matter of a few minutes till the license plate was removed, and he got into the car. Once the seat was adjusted, he placed the keys into the ignition and drove away. No one would be able to find him, not even Detective Cullen.

-LISTP-

Shelly Cope was having her usual quiet morning. She loved having her coffee while she read her newspaper. Grabbing her mug and pulling her robe around her, she walked outside to get it. There was a car that was parked in front of her neighbor's hose, and she knew it was not there last night before she went to bed. Ms. Cope had gotten in to the habit of checking the street and her driveway before going to bed ever since she saw the buick the other day. Then she recognized it. That car was the same one she told the police about the other day. She walked back in her house and picked up the phone.

"Seattle Police Department. How may I direct your call?"

"I need to talk to Officer Tom Bailey. I came in and spoke to him the other day."

"I don't know that he is here presently, but I can let you talk to another officer. Would you mind holding for a few minutes, ma'am?

"That's fine."

After a few minutes someone picked up the other end of the extension, and they took down the information she gave them. The officer typed the street address into the police database, and there was an assignment for someone to patrol that area. This piqued his interest since he found out that Ms. Cope had come down and reported information about a strange car the other day. He thanked her for contacting them, and he began contacting other officers about this Immediately. It looked very suspicious.

-LISTP-

Edward and Bella were completely wrapped up in each other's arms. The night before was sheer bliss, and they both slept peacefully despite the fact that Edward felt unnerved. Knowing he had his girl in his arms and that she was safe all night was what kept him sane. He heard the alarm from his cell phone, and he reached over to turn it off. He ran his fingers over her cheek, and then he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.

"My sweet Bella," he said.

She softly stirred in his arms, slowly waking up. He was looking down on her face, smiling. They were enjoying a tender moment.

"You look ravishing in the morning, baby." His lips brushed across her forehead.

"Edward, you always take my breath away. I would love to spend all day with you right here in this bed."

He turned her over onto her back, and laid his body on top of hers.

"What do you think I have planned for this weekend? You and me and all the love we can make right here in your Arabian style bed."

"I can already feel your…enthusiasm." She lifted her head up to his for a searing kiss on his lips.

"I want you right now, baby," he said as she kissed him over his face. "But I have to get ready for work. Trust me, there is no place I would rather be than right here."

"As much as I hate sharing you with the rest of the world, the Seattle police department needs you in order to rid the city of crime. You're the best they have."

He looked down when she said that. It was a habit he had retained all of these years when someone gave him a compliment. The words meant more to him when they came from Bella.

"You really got me that time. Maybe I can deter some criminals today knowing we'll be together tonight, and every night if I have anything to do about it."

"My home is yours now, Edward, and I don't just mean four walls and a ceiling. My heart is, and always has been, yours."

He crushed her body against his in a long, protective embrace.

"I love you, Bella. Always."

"I love you, too."

-LISTP-

Two police cars drove down Yorkshire Drive, the road on which Angela and Ms. Cope lived. There was the tarnished and dented car in front of Angela's house. The police parked their patrol cars, and they walked around to inspect the car. The license plate on the back had the same three letters as the one Ms. Cope had told them about. The right rear tire was flat, and there was nothing inside the car. Angela was supposed to come out any time now to get into her car and drive to the performance hall. The officers had notes on all of these details. They looked around to see if her car was parked close by, but it was not in the usual spot. The entire scene was off to them, and they decided to knock on her door. It was not shut completely, and they were able to get inside.

They called out for Angela, but there was no response. She was given specific orders not to leave her home until the police arrived. They searched through the house for her, until they came to her bedroom. Neither of the men said anything at first.

"Call for back up immediately."

They exited the room and waited outside for the other units to arrive.

-LISTP-

"…and she told the one legged jockey that's why she rode side saddle." Emmett was trying to crack his partner up with his ridiculous jokes.

"Em, I seriously think you did not fall out of the dumb tree. Rather, I think you were dragged through the whole dumbass forest."

"Rose thinks I'm funny."

"Rose is in love with you, so she's slightly delusional."

A ringing telephone interrupted their banter.

"We'll be there in a few minutes." Edward said. "Come on man, we have another homicide."

Edward drove through the streets of Seattle like a man possessed. Images of Bella flashed through his brain. She was getting ready to go in for rehearsal when he left.

They arrived at a small home, and, once the car was parked, they went on inside. Their attention was directed to the bedroom, where they found another young woman who was dead.

"Ed, this is an exact copy of the other homicide."

They walked around the bed, and it seemed that the stalker had attacked another victim. Another one of the dancers from Bella's troupe. A cold shiver ran down his spine, and he had to talk to his girl immediately to make sure she was safe.

**I have based some of the stalker's character on Ted Bundy, who was a notorious depraved psychopath in the seventies. My husband has a library of books on psychopaths, investigative methods, and generally anything that has to deal with criminal justice. I have to thank him for his knowledge in this area. Have you all come by my parlor on fb yet?** groups/163281877153436/

**Please let me know your thoughts! Detectiveward and I love to read them! Love you all.**


	7. Chapter 7 Villains and Beauty

**Chapter 7 Villains and Beauty**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**Are you all out of breath? I'm clinging to Detectiveward right now. Thank you, Kitty Masen for your wonderful beta skills! You are the best! Hold on, everybody…**

Bella arrived at the performance hall mid-morning, and she waved at the police officers. Knowing they were here made her feel that much safer. It also served as a reminder of Edward's protective nature. Once inside, she made her way to the dressing room to get on her practice attire. A familiar ring tone brought a smile across her face, and she pulled her phone out of her face.

"Missing me already?"

"Bella? Oh thank God you are safe."

A panicked feeling was starting to come over her.

"What's wrong, Edward?"

"I wish I could tell you this in person..it's Angela…she's dead sweetheart. We are almost positive it was the same person that stalked and killed Victoria."

All of the coloring drained from her face, as she fell to her knees. Edward could hear the sobs coming from her, and it broke his heart.

"Why? Why did he have to kill her? We…we were…talking yesterday about Victoria. I just can't deal with this, Edward."

He was quiet for several minutes as she collected her thoughts.

"Stay inside the hall, baby, till I get there. I feel awful for telling you about it this way."

"I know your heart, and you were just making sure I was safe. Besides, we can't keep things from each other. It would have bothered me more if you had kept this from me when you called."

"I love you so much, Bella."

"I love you always, Edward."

Once they were finished with their conversation, Bella was still in shock. The tears were flowing down her face again. Philip had to be in his office, so she headed upstairs to tell him the devastating news. Standing in front of this door, she wished her love was there to hold her. She had to be strong now. There would be ample time later for her to cry over the loss of her friend.

"Philip, I need to talk to you right now. It's important."

He opened the door, and he ushered her inside.

"What's going on, Bella? Are you okay?"

"I just got off the phone with Detective Cullen, and the stalker got…got to… Angela."

He pulled her into a comforting hug as she fought against her emotions.

"I'm sure they will be calling me any time now. Wait a minute, Bella. Why did Detective Cullen call you specifically?"

She knew this question was coming, but would it really matter what Philip thought about them?

"He wanted to make sure I was safe, and he's my boyfriend. We've actually known each other since college, but there were a few years where we…lost touch."

Philip cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not going to pry into your personal business, Bella, but I had the feeling that there was something between you and him."

For the first time in several minutes, a smile came over her face.

"He makes me feel like I can take on the world, Philip. I love him, and he's coming by here when he's done at the crime scene." She pulled in a deep breath of air to calm down. "I need to get onto the stage and get this out now. Dancing is my therapy."

"Go on ahead, Bella."

She left his office; letting thoughts of her man consume her mind.

-LISTP-

He was busy developing the pictures in the dark room. Watching her die had been very pleasurable for him, and now he would have something extra to look at for a few days. The pictures were graphic, just the way he liked them. Her legs were spread apart at the time, so he got a good shot of her pussy. Next time around, he wondered if he should tape the next girl. Now that's what he was thinking about. Which of the dancers did he want the most now?

There were two that he had in mind, Tanya and Lauren. Blondes were not really his type, so he was going to pass on Tanya. The other girl would have to do for now, especially since he had his sights on his brunette. He was going to have her tied up soon. His cock kept getting harder as he thought about her. It was not going to be a quick fuck with her. Maybe he would drag it out for hours, fucking her tight pussy continually. He ran his hands over his hard shaft as he considered cutting her skin just to see her bleed a little bit. She would beg and plead for her life when he would shove the knife in her heart. His orgasm was about to overtake him when he thought about how dead her eyes would look once the Detective would find her.

For now, Lauren would have to do, and after he had come, he began to work on a plan to kill her.

-LISTP

Edward and Emmett were emotionally exhausted after spending a few gruesome hours at Angela's home. The place was sealed with police tape. Edward walked outside, and the car in front of the house caught his attention. It was the same car that followed him the other night after he left Bella's house. He walked over to the back, and he wrote down the tag number in his black book. He was going to do some research when he returned to the office.

Emmett came walking outside about that time.

"I called Bella earlier, and I told her we would be coming by. Beside, we need to talk with the producer about this incident."

"Was she alright, Ed?"

"As much as could be expected since I told her that one of her friends had died at the hands of a psychopath."

"That was not something you wanted to tell her over the phone was it?"

"I'm worried about her safety, man. You would feel the same way if this was Rose." He started to pull at his hair.

"Let me drive because I can see how anxious you are. "

They got into the car and made their way over to the theater. Thankfully, there were two officers parked outside doing their protective duty. After Emmett parked next to them, they checked to see if there was any suspicious activity today. They did not have anything to report to the detectives. Edward breathed a sigh of relief.

They gave Philip a call from the parking lot, and he walked outside to meet them. He told them that Bella had informed him of Angela's homicide earlier. Now he wanted to know what he needed to do to assist the police. The attendant was coming in for a few minutes, so they could talk with him about the flower delivery. They started to head upstairs when Edward's phone began to ring.

"Detective Cullen"

"Your girl and I will be so happy together."

"Who is this?"

The line went dead, and he stood in the hallway briefly. This was getting personal now. He tapped Emmett on the shoulder, and told him he would be right back. He ran to the patrol unit, and entered a phone number into the database. It was another burner phone. His mind was running a million miles an hour. This had to be the stalker that contacted him, and Edward knew he was up against a criminal mastermind. This person was doing everything he had suspected he would do all along. Was Bella the next target? This person knew they were together, otherwise why would he call Edward's phone and mention _his girl_? White hot anger flew all over him at the mere thought of this depraved stalker doing anything to Bella.

This entire situation just took a more serious turn.

-LISTP-

The attendant came into the office about twenty minutes later. He politely answered all of the questions for them, but the details he gave them were sketchy, except for the fact that he recalled the name on the delivery man's shirt. The name Mike was on there, and then Edward made another mental connection. The fingerprints found on the vase belonged to a Michael Newton. They thanked the attendant for his help.

"Em, I need to see Bella before we go."

"That's cool. I was going to give Rose a call. I'll see you in a few minutes, and don't make me have to come and bang on some locked door again."

He shook his head at his partner's lame attempt at humor. Finding Bella was easy since she was still in the midst of a practice session. When he opened the door, he could see her moving around the stage as though she were completely care free. When she was dancing, she would give her soul and body over to the music and the joy she felt. He could watch her for hours, as he had done in the past. She captivated him with every hip drop and chest slide.

She heard the door open, and decided to let him watch her for a few minutes. He waked down the aisle, looking far too good in his all black suit. It was hard for her to concentrate on her steps. He sat in the front row, and, as the music came to a climax, she took her hip scarf off. She threw it toward him, and he lifted his left arm and caught it. He was left handed, and something about that had always gotten to her. He walked up closer to the stage.

"You amaze me, Bella. Watching you dance is euphoria."

She jumped off the stage and into his arms. He hugged her body tightly to his, as though he would lose her at any moment. The emotions of the day were creeping up on him. Now this person was calling him and talking about her. With a renewed determination in his heart, Edward was going to solve this case.

He let her body slowly come down to the floor, and then he captures her soft lips with his. Tongues met again as desire was starting to rear its' head. She wanted to escape with him, and do this all day.

He heard a deep sigh from her as his mouth trailed over her face.

"I am going to tell one of the officers to follow you home after you are through, Bella. You safety is paramount to me, now more than ever."

"Thank you, Edward. You always take care of me," she said as her arms pulled him closer to her. "Let's spend tonight together again. I don't care what we do, as long as we are together."

"I will be there at six, baby. I want to pamper you tonight and show you how much I love you."

Her face lit up with a glow that he lived for.

"You always know what's…important, don't you Detective Cullen?" She gave him a mischievous wink.

"I'll show you what's important when we're alone tonight," he whispered.

He kissed her one more time, and then he walked out of the hall. Edward caught one of the officer's attention, and explained that he needed to follow Ms. Swan home given the circumstances. He and Emmett left the parking lot and headed for the police department. They had reports to fill and research to do this afternoon.

As soon as they gave the chief a rundown of the crime scene, they went into their offices. Edward was going to tackle the car first. He ran the tag number through the department's identification system, and it appeared the car belonged to a Michael Newton. Within a few minutes, Edward had a picture from a driver's license, as well as a phone number and address. He called the number, and a woman answered the phone.

"Hello, this is Detective Edward Cullen with the Seattle Police Department. I am looking to speak with Michael Newton. Is he there?"

"He's not here. We have not seen him in several days," the woman replied.

"Do you know where he might be ma'am?"

He heard a heavy sigh from the other end.

"Mike has a bad habit of disappearing for a couple of days at a time, but he's been gone a lot longer than usual. He has this friend that he hangs out with, but I don't like him."

"What is his friend's name, ma'am?"

"I think it's either Jay or James. He calls him either name. He's a supplier for Mike."

"What exactly does he supply him with?"

"Drugs, I think. Mike is really bright, and he knows about computers. He worked at Radio Shack for a few months. This guy he hangs out with is bad news."

"Do you happen to know where this guy lives?"

"No. Mike never told me."

Edward was busy scribbling down this information.

"Thank you for your help, Ma'am."

"You're welcome. Good bye."

This case was becoming more complex the closer he came to finding who the stalker was. Edward was considering the possibility there was a missing person's case that was about to become part of this. He called over to their unit, and spoke with their commander. They needed as many details as he could supply them with now about Michael Newton so they could draft a report and begin searching for him. His intuition told him that this man was not going to show up any time soon. If he was involved with the stalker, there was a good possibility he was dead, too.

He left his office to go discuss this with the chief, as well as the disturbing phone call he received earlier. The icy cold voice he heard was burned into his brain, but he had the feeling that this person had disguised it through a voice changer.

The chief listened with rapt attention as Edward recounted all the information he gathered about Mike, as well as the phone call. He was puzzled why the stalker contacted him about his girl, because, as far as he knew, Cullen did not have any romantic involvements. They never discussed anything of that nature in the office, so it was none of his business. Until he heard about this situation.

"You know I never pry into your personal life, Cullen, but now this stalker is contacting you directly. Did you run a trace on the number?"

"Another burner phone, Sir. "

"Here's my next question for you. For lack of better terms, who is the woman you are involved with? Her life could be in danger."

"Bella Swan… she is one of the dancers," he let out a deep breath upon that admission.

"I should honestly remove you from the case, but you're the best on the force. I can't risk letting another detective take over and not feel as confident about his abilities as I am about yours. No one else can get into the mind of these psychopaths like you."

"I have to say that I am floored by your compliments, chief, in the best way. Something about criminology fascinates me, and I only want to put it to good use."

"You do that in spades, Cullen."

-LISTP-

He was on a high from the death and destruction he caused earlier. It was inconceivable to him that he could be captured by the police. The media was eating up everything he could give them. Two murders in less than one week? He had filled the city with anxiety and panic. Hearing and seeing his work on the news updates was almost as good as the rush he got when he shoved his knife in the victims' bodies. Finally, he was getting the recognition and notoriety he always craved. It would only get better with the next savage act he was going to commit upon the next girl. He was going to give the world a show they would never forget. He eyed the mini torch over on the desk next to the laptop. It would soon be time to unleash that toy.

Contacting the detective was fun, and he knew it would send him into a frenzy over his brunette. It was amazing the knowledge that poor, gullible Mike shared with him, and he took advantage of it to the fullest. He could access phone numbers, as well as disguise his voice through a device used to alter it. Knowing that he could put any amount of fear in the detective's heart was a sadistic reward. It was an unexpected, but welcome part of his deviant plan.

-LISTP-

Bella preferred to stay busy with her time, and sitting at home was not enough for her. When she returned from the theater, a good old fashioned cry was in the works. She was honestly saddened by the loss of her friend, but she was even more fearful for her own life. This was not any way to live, and this stalker was not going to get the better of her. She had to focus on the positive aspects of her life.

Belly dancing had always been her passion, and she was confident of her abilities when her feet met the stage floor. While she was performing for the audience, she was really dancing for her pleasure. Bella felt a true freedom that came directly from the connection she had with her body and the way she could move it.

Now she found herself staring at her clothes, trying to decide on what to wear when Edward came home. The thought of that was deeply soothing. Her man would be here, in her place, in her arms very soon. What piece of clothing would she choose to tantalize him with tonight? He loved it when she wore bright colors because he said it suited her personality. A simple red halter shirt would suffice, and she paired it with a pair of distressed jeans. Hopefully, her clothes would find their way onto the floor not too much longer.

She was going to keep dinner simple. Several minutes later, a bowl was filled with a hearty chef salad, and she placed a loaf of French bread in the oven. Bella looked for her lighter and walked around the room lighting candles. As she was putting it away, Edward was on the other side of the front door, waiting for her to open it. This time, he had his bag with him so he would not have to walk back outside.

She looked ravishing as she stood in the doorway with one of her arms lifted over her head and the other on her hip. Every time he saw her, the pull he felt only became stronger. She could render him speechless, and it was apparent this time. Instead of words, Bella curled her right index finger to let him know she wanted him inside.

She closed the door behind them, and she rested her back against it. Nothing else in the world mattered when they were alone. Edward walked over to her, and lifted her chin to get lost in the beauty of her brown eyes.

"I am spellbound by you, baby." He whispered soft words in her ear and then kissed her on her neck and chin.

"Oh, Edward," she sighed softly before his lips met hers in a heart rendering kiss. The feeling over her tongue on his was divine, and he could never have enough of his girl.

"Are you hungry?" she asked in between kisses.

"Only for you," he said as he pressed his erection against her.

His hands moved down to cup her ass, and he wanted to make sure his girl knew what he wanted to eat. Then he felt her tongue licking his lips and moving over his stubble and toward his neck.

"Which part of me do you want a taste of more right now? My mouth or my pussy?"

He was slightly caught off guard when he heard those dirty words from her. Then he moved back up to her lips again and teased her with his tongue as his hands moved underneath the fabric of her shirt. The softness of her tits was as arousing as the harness of her nipples.

"I could just fuck you against this door right now, Bella. Is that something you'd like?"

Before she could answer, he started to take his clothes off. She unsnapped the back closure of her halter, and he kept his eyes on her. Once she had pulled it down he ran his hands over her nipples, reveling in the soft mewls that escaped her lips.

Then they both smelled something burning.

"Do you have something in the oven?"

"Oh no! It's the bread."

They ran into the kitchen, and she opened the oven. A blackened loaf of bread was inside, and Edward took it out for her. She pulled put a garbage bag, and he shoved it in. They were both laughing hard over this now, and it was a welcome moment of levity for them.

'I'm sorry I burned dinner," she said once the giggles had died down.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Bella." He took her into his arms, giving her a warm hug.

"I have a chef salad waiting for you if that is any consolation."

"I'm not really hungry. The chief had some leftovers from lunch, and Emmett and I finished them earlier. Are you hungry?"

"I don't want something that can be served on a plate. I want you, Edward. Take a bath with me."

He lifted her up in his arms, unable to resist her invitation.

-LISTP-

The bathtub was filled with water and bubbles as he helped her in. He took off the rest of his clothes and slid behind her. The feeling of her wet, naked body was pure heaven. Bella pulled her hair up in a messy knot, mostly to allow him access to her neck. He sucked on it, as he rubbed his hands over her tits. The warmth of the water and his touch were setting her body on fire. As he grazed his teeth over her skin, Edward could not miss how his girl was reacting to his every touch. His cock was next to her ass, and he knew it would not take much for him to bury himself in her pussy.

"I want to be inside you again, baby," he told her. "Let me turn your beautiful body around so you can ride me."

She could never say no to him because all Bella wanted was to be submissive to every sexual yearning her man had. Seconds later her body was on top of his, and he was buried deep with her silken walls. He settled back some as he watched her body grind against him. Her voluptuous tits were putting on a display for him that was magnificent. He pinched her nipples, and ran his fingers over her belly. She pulled his hand down to her needy clit.

"Please, touch me now" she said.

His nimble fingers played with her as he felt a strong tightening around his cock. She was close, he could practically taste her arousal. He licked his lips and she stared directly into his eyes. Her body stilled over his as her orgasm washed over her.

"Yes, baby, that's right. I love to feel you come."

His cock was aching for a release, and he started to increase his speed. The tightness in his balls was almost unbearable. Bella brought his finger to her mouth and sucked on it. That was his undoing, along with the lust he saw in her eyes. He released deep inside, filling her with his cum, and she relished in it.

They adjusted their position in the tub, and he pulled her close to his chest. Her hair had fallen out of the knot, and it was all around her now. No words were necessary as they enjoyed their blissful afterglow.

**Don't we all love Detectiveward? He owns me for life! I am so happy you all love reading this as much as I love writing it. I intend on turning this into a series. Please let me know your thoughts about this chapter. I love you all! XXOO**

.


	8. Chapter 8 A Simple Key

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**I am honestly amazed by the outpouring of love for this fic! Your reviews are very special to me. I don't know how many of you all know this, but LISTP will become a series. Detectiveward demanded it, and who am I to stand in his way? Someone asked me a question about Lauren's husband, Michael, and I wanted to clarify that he is not the same person that Edward suspects is missing. They are not the same person. I have to send a huge thank you to Station 6 Fire and Rescue for your help and enthusiasm! Kitty Masen, thank you from the bottom of my heart. *MWAH***

Carlisle was in no mood to put up with his wife's emotions tonight. Esme was a narcissistic woman who showed no interest in his political career, and it was going to make his campaign more difficult. They sat across from each other at the dining room table, barley sharing anything other than polite disdain. 

"I saw Edward yesterday," he told his wife.

"How is our son doing?"

He sighed deeply.

"He's as cold and callous as you would remember. I went to his office with the intention of asking for his support for office. He told me he had nothing to say to me, and that I'm not his father. He was going to throw me out, Esme."

She started to sob into her hands.

"I miss him so very much, and he's our only child, Carlisle. Do you remember the last time I saw him?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, preparing for the verbal assault she was going to unleash.

"The last time I saw _my_ son, he was walking away from you because you were trying to hit him. Does it really surprise you that he has so little regard for you? I did not like the choice he made to have a relationship with her any more than you did, but he left her. Did you hear that?"

She stood up and leaned over the table, placing her hands on it.

"He left that filthy, low class dancing harlot and now he's one of Seattle's finest. I can't begin to express my level of distaste for what you did! Look at how you have hurt me! I'm the victim in all of this."

He stood up from the table, walked around to her, and slapped her across the face.

"I will not allow you to talk to me in that manner. Just take a moment to remember your roots. Everything you have is because of me."

Frustrated, Carlisle walked out of the dining room.

-LISTP-

As Edward had carried Bella from the bathroom to the bed, he heard his phone ringing, but he decided to ignore it for the time being...there were more important things he was focused on presently. Bella looked captivating as she lay on her belly. He was going to give her back a massage with the Moroccan oil she kept near the bed. Watching the drops fall like rain on her back conjured up erotic images. Bella made a purring sound as he began to rub up and down her spine. Slowly, he worked his way down to her ass, relishing in how soft her skin was.

Then he heard his phone for the second time in less than ten minutes.

"Edward, if you need to answer that, go right ahead."

He really wanted to ignore it, but with this nightmare swarming around them, he thought better of it.

"Detective Cullen"

"I'll be so happy with my brunette."

"Tell me who you are."

The signal went dead, and he had to keep himself from the phone and smashing it against the wall. Bella had her eyes on him, studying his profile and his movements. She rushed to his side, and tried to pull him back to reality. With just one soft touch, he felt the anger begin to disintegrate, and he set the phone down. Then he embraced his girl in a tight hug.

"I love you, Bella," he said as he inhaled the fragrance the oil on her skin.

"As I love you deeply, Edward. Are you alright? It looks like that call has angered you…how can

I help?"

His need to keep her safe, no matter what, was overwhelming his ability to deny her the truth. Looking into her sweet brown eyes, he knew that lying to her would only complicate a delicate situation.

"I have received two phone calls today from someone who keeps telling me that he'll be happy with you. Bella, I could not lie to you about this because it would break both of our hearts."

A few fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, and he took the pads of his fingers and wiped them away. The weight of this information was sinking into her psyche. She could not put the words together that she wanted to say. He understood that she needed his strength now more than ever.

"Baby, do you remember the other night in the kitchen when I came back from getting my bag from the car?"

She nodded her head yes in response.

"I told you something that I believe is worth repeating. I will take care of you and keep you safe from harm to the _very best of my abilities_. Wishing and hoping that I had some sort of supernatural powers to protect you will not solve this problem. Taking action is what I can do now."

Bella looked up into her man's face, and she saw the look of bold determination in his eyes. There were many qualities that she loved about him, but when he set out to do something, it made her heart swell with pride. Logically, it was obvious that the level of jeopardy that was surrounding them increased considerably with the phone calls. Her innate trust in him never faltered, and she would cleave to it always.

"You make me want to be a strong woman, Edward. I can't tell you I'm not overjoyed by this turn of events, but I know it will bring us closer. Let me hold your hand, please."

He put his hand into hers and she lifted it and placed it over her heart.

"I will trust you with this every day for the rest of my life, no matter what may be ahead of us. If this stalker wants to try to intimidate us, then he's chosen the wrong couple. I believe in the power of our love."

He drew her body closer and she laid her head on his chest. All if his anger and apprehension was gone, as it was replaced by a longing to worship his beauty. Once again, he took her face into his hands and placed tender kisses on her lips. Bella wrapped her hands around his waist, and he could feel her hard nipples against his chest. Her body was responding to him when she began to move her hips faster as their kiss became deeper. Tongues swirled and caressed, intertwined in a subtle dance. Her hands began their own exploration of his body. She drew them over his firm ass and over his thighs. When she dragged her nails over his chest and down toward his cock, he let out a deep moan. Her tongue started moving down his chin, over his neck, and then to his ear.

"Fuck me, Edward," she whispered.

He laid her back on the bed, and spread her legs with his hands. He lay beside her and ran his fingers over her tits and between her legs. It was as if she could not have enough of him; so she placed her hand over his and led him to her pussy. Bella did not want him to tease her.

She took one of his fingers and pressed it into her. Already, she felt the nearness of her orgasm. Her body wanted to give in to his touch.

"Tell me you own me," she cried out.

"You know I own you, baby. No other man is ever going to possess you but me."

He settled in between her legs and began to bathe her pussy with his tongue. The combined intensity of his words and watching him feast upon her brought her over the edge. His style of worship was overflowing with the passion she craved. Edward pulled his body over her and with one single thrust, he slid his cock all the way inside.

"That's it. Give it to me, baby. I want to feel you come all over me."

He could not help but take her as fast as he could. The tightness of her walls was driving him to fuck her deeply, all the while loving her with every part of his body.

"Wrap your legs around me," he growled in her ear.

Now she felt another rush taking over her body as he began to suck and bite her neck.

"Fuck me Edward" she screamed.

His baser side took over as her cum ran over his length. The sound of her whimpers and his name drove him closer to the edge. With a few more deep thrusts, he let go and exploded inside of her pussy. He saturated her walls in thick ribbons of his cum.

They both lay intertwined, breathing in and out together.

"Edward, I have one request before we make love again."

"Anything, Bella. Name it and it is yours."

"Do you think you can get your hands on an oxygen tank for me?"

Laughing, he rolled over and kissed his girl.

-LISTP-

He was coming down after another orgasm while staring at the picture of his brunette in the park. The exposed sliver of her skin plus the knowledge of what was in her future got him off. The need to kill was going to give him the ultimate release. There was no remorse or guilt in him for anything he had done in the past few weeks. Michael was a pawn in the game, and setting him on fire with the blow torch was a stroke of genius. He shoved his body into the fireplace and enjoyed watching his death.

Now how was he going to abduct Lauren? He was in the research phase of the process, plotting his movements meticulously. Her biography on the dance company web site stated that she was married. How foolish of them to divulge this information. He imagined that she wrote it because none the other girls listed their status. He'd use her lack of common sense to his advantage. Then he searched for information about her husband, some guy named Michael. He laughed at the irony of that. He worked for a computer based company in Olympia. Their address came up with just a few clicks into a hacked site. He wrote it down, and decided to drive over for a quick view. Then he could give the Detective a call.

-LISTP-

Philip called a mandatory meeting for the troupe the next morning. He shared the disturbing news that Angela had died by the hands of the stalker. The girls were visibly upset over losing another one of their friends, but they had to move forward. There was not going to be a performance this weekend, since they were in the off week. Due to Angela's death, they had to make multiple changes to the routines, though. Philip was going to stay downstairs with them to make sure they could get settled.

Bella was tying on her hip scarf when she noticed him sitting there on the stage floor.

"Everything is going to fall into place," she told him as she sat down.

"It's not the rehearsals I'm concerned with any more. There is some deranged man out there who wants you all dead. The police can't seem to find him, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that you all are targets. It's clear as day."

"Don't you see it, Philip? He wants us to live in fear. It's almost as if he's playing a game with us. The more he can terrorize us, the more sadistic pleasure he gets out of this. He might be looking at the news to see just how much attention they are giving him." She took a swallow of water.

"How do you know all of this, Bella?"

"It's just a little something I've learned from someone who knows his facts…but that's beside the point. We can't give this person any more power than he already has. Control is what he ultimately wants."

He considered her words for several moments before speaking.

"You are right, Bella, but it does not negate the fact that I am afraid for each one of you. Just promise me, please be as careful as possible. I can't lose any more of you."

"We'll be careful, but now, we have to get used to new program."

Philip always admired her ability to go above a difficult situation and press on. It only added to the high level of respect he had for her.

-LISTP-

The missing persons unit contacted Edward in the afternoon. It appears that Michael Newton was indeed missing, but there no leads. He spoke with the chief of the department about the connection between him and the stalker. They were certain this was beyond coincidence now.

Once he walked into his office, his phone rang again, and it was another unknown number.

"Detective Cullen."

"She's mine, Cullen."

"Leave her alone" he roared into the phone before they hung up.

Emmett heard this and walked over to his partner's office.

"Hey Ed, what's going on?"

He saw the phone in his hands, and the answer to his question was blatantly obvious. They talked about the situation this morning.

"If he wants to play mind games, then he's going to have to up his game," Edward said. "There is no way in hell that I'm backing off. He will not get the better of me."

"Getting another phone won't deter him?"

"IF anything, it might enrage him more because he likes this too much to stop. The angrier he becomes, the more dangerous he'll become. I have to behave as if I am calm and collected over this."

"But you're not."

He set the phone back into the case.

"Em, the level of murderous rage I have toward this guy is unfathomable. Yet, I choose not to be led around by my emotions. He's expecting that, and I won't give into his expectations."

"Now what are you going to do?"

"Give my girl a call, tell her I love her, and go to the range to let off some steam."

"Sounds like a plan, Ed. Can I join you?"

"Only if your aim has improved."

Edward left the room before his partner could respond.

-LISTP-

She gave herself over to the music today and relished in the movement of her body. Bella could feel the rhythm of the Arabian beats through the floor since she always danced bare foot. It brought out a more sensuous feeling to her dancing. It felt natural and authentic as she designed a new routine from the old ones she had done frequently. A series of four-count turns required her to practice her foot work, and the faster she worked through this, the easier the steps became.

Bella always allowed herself to get lost when she danced. The complexities of the Middle Eastern music, along with the emotions that were portrayed, were part of the force that compelled her continually. She had the passion that was necessary to become one of the best. When she performed, she knew when to hold back and when to let go.

Long after the rest of the troupe was finished and gone, Bella was still working on the routine, getting all of the fine details set. Her body was shaking hard after she was done for the day. Once she was in the dressing room, she collapsed into a chair and drank a bottle of water. It was the same chair Edward had bent her over just a few days ago, and that memory brought a smile to her face. She wanted to get her belongings together and get ready to go home.

When she walked outside to her car, one of the offices came over with an envelope for her. They were given specific instructions to follow her back to Detective Cullen's house after she stopped by her place. They waited for her to open the envelope. Inside there was a simple key and a note from Edward. He told her to get a change of clothes for tomorrow and her toiletries because he wanted her to spend the night at his place. The key was hers to keep, as it was the one for his door.

The officer followed her back to her place, and she wasted no time getting everything she needed. Instead of taking a shower at her place, she would just use his, and the thought of that made her feel excited. She had to get over there as soon as possible.

-LISTP-

Carlisle set up a meeting with the distributor later on in the week. Aro Voltouri needed his fix soon, as per their telephone conversation, and he needed to make good on his promise. Aro was his ticket to becoming mayor. Since his son was blatantly ignoring him, Carlisle was going to find a method to garner as much support as possible. He was concerned that his son might become a loose cannon, but there would be a way to control him. Aro would back him up on any alleged charges that he could bring against Edward. It would be a simple as a phone call and the assurance of a string of prostitutes for his friend to choose from any time. Nothing and no one was going to stand in his way anymore.

-LISTP-

Bella pulled into his driveway, surprised to see his Volvo there also. He was not due to come home for at least another two hours. Why was he home so early? Her mind began to race with questions. As she walked up to the door, she felt nervous as she slid the key into the lock. Then she opened the door to find her man sitting on the sofa, looking very sexy. He had one leg propped up on the other, with his tie slightly loosened. She felt like a mess since she had not showered yet.

"Edward, are you alright? I saw your car parked outside, and I became worried."

"Come on in and close the door, Bella. I am more than fine." He said all of this in a rich, dark voice. It sent shivers down her spine and made her feel wet.

She walked closer to him, and noticed that he had something in his hands. He motioned for her to come sit by him. He embraced her body close to his, pulling her into his lap.

"I'm sorry if I'm a mess," she said as he began to kiss her face lightly. "I was going to take a shower once I got over here."

"I like it when you're all dirty, baby. It makes me want to use these." He pulled a pair of handcuffs up for her to see. "You know what's on my mind, so let's get the shower out of the way. You've been a bad girl lately, Miss Swan, and I need to detain you for a while."

"Does this mean that you are going to search me?"

"I have the authority to do that, and much more."

She felt as though she was going to spontaneously combust from this conversation.

"Clean me up," she said as she got up off his lap. She striped her clothes off in front of him before she ran off to the bathroom.

He followed her, taking off his jacket and tie.

"Bella, you really are a bad girl, and I am going to show you what that does to me."

The water was already running in the shower. She was inside, softly moaning. He pulled off the rest of his clothes before he stepped in behind her.

"Oh, Edward, oohhhh," she moaned again.

He walked in to find her rubbing her clit and teasing her nipples.

"Did I turn you on so much that you had to start without me, baby?" He said as he pulled her back to his chest. "Let me watch you pleasure yourself."

She could feel his cock on her backside, and it was spurring her on as she ran her fingers over her clit. He was biting her earlobe.

"I'm going to possess you tonight and every night. You belong only to me. Now I'm going to make you come."

Edward lifted her arms over her head and around his neck before he entered her from behind. He started to press deeply in, but then he almost pulled all the way out. Her walls were drenched, and he could feel her walls tightened up more with every thrust.

"You want to come, don't you? Let me feel it, baby."

Bella wrapped her body around him as much as she could when her orgasm took over. His arms were wrapped around her body, bringing her as close to him as he could. He was not going to last much longer, but Edward knew this was only the beginning tonight. Imaging her handcuffed under his control made him come hard. She felt every bit of his orgasm, reveling in how powerful it was. He turned her body around and cradled her in his arms.

"I love you, my Bella," he said in between breaths.

"I love you, my Edward. Will you bathe me?"

"It would be my pleasure."

They bathed each other, enjoying the intimacy of caring for one another. He got out first to get towels out to dry her off, and she walked out into his arms.

"By the way, I still intend on using those handcuffs after dinner, baby."

For some reason, she was not nearly as hungry for food now.

**Are you all any closer to knowing who the stalker is? Edward really has his hands full in this fic! Thank you all so much for your reviews and comments. I love you all! **


	9. Chapter 9 Supervixen

**Chapter 9 Supervixen**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

**That last chapter was quite a ride, wasn't it? I have the feeling that you all want more. Kitty Masen, you are such a dear friend and an excellent beta-thank you for your help! Detectiveward is waiting with the handcuffs…**

When a member of the Seattle department of law enforcement was called into the office of internal affairs, it usually involved one of two issues. You were either coming in to give them some information, or you were the one being investigated. That was one of the reasons why Maggie Ford was sitting uncomfortably outside of their office. She worked in the business office and was a loyal employee for several years. It was after dinner, and she was at home when they called her to come in to talk because it was urgent. Why did the investigator need to see her now?

The heavy door swung open, and one of the investigators walked out.

"Are you Maggie Ford?"

"Yes Sir," she responded meekly.

"I'm Detective Tyler Barnes. Please come inside."

She walked in quietly and sat down in front of a desk. He closed the door and offered her something to drink.

"I'm fine, thank you. Am I in trouble?"

"No, Maggie, but we need to confirm some signatures on a few checks. The bank has returned them to us because they did not match what they keep on their signature card file."

"I sign all of the checks since I work in the business office."

He handed her three checks to examine.

"Then you'll be able to verify if this is your signature."

The checks were in large amounts, one of them close to two hundred thousand dollars. Maggie would have remembered signing anything that was this large. She searched over the signature, hut it was not anything like the way she signed checks.

"I did not sign these," she said.

"For the record, then, Maggie, are you telling me that your signature was forged?"

"Yes Sir."

"Then we are done, and I thank you for your help."

He led her to the door and opened it. Maggie walked out, relieved that this visit to internal affairs was over, and she could go home.

-LISTP-

Edward made sure that his girl had eaten enough for dinner since he knew she burned it all off quickly. She encompassed all of his wildest dreams while she was curled up in the chair wearing his black robe. Taking it off of her and ravishing her beautiful body was exactly what he wanted to do, along with a little assistance from a pair of silver handcuffs. They experimented with them a few times in college, and it added an erotic edge to their love making. Just thinking about this was getting him hard.

"Thank you for dinner, Edward. Let me help you put away the leftovers and the dishes."

She padded into the kitchen, and he followed, admiring the view from behind. When she was over by the sink, he pulled back part of the robe to allow him access to her shoulder. He pressed his lips on it, and Bella dropped the flatware into the sink, forgetting all about it. She pushed her hips back, grinding her ass into his erection, wishing he would just take her against the sink now. With all of her thoughts of late about Edward, Bella felt as if she were in a constant state of arousal. One look from her man was all it took to make her swoon.

His hands trailed around to the front of her robe and untied it. Eagerly, he pulled it open and started his exploration of her body. His rough fingers were leaving a wake of fire on her skin. Before she let this go any further, she interrupted him.

"Let me go to the bedroom for a few moments, and then I want you to bring on the handcuffs."

She walked a few feet in front of him and let the robe fall to the floor. Turning, she saw him standing there with his mouth slightly open and his cock fully erect. She blew him a kiss before walking down the hall.

Inside of her bag was some lingerie she packed, as well as a pair of heels. They were rarely worn, but she was going to break them in tonight. Time was of the essence, as she heard Edward walking down the hallway. She dashed into the bathroom, giggling. If he wanted to play with her tonight, then she was going to get into character too. She slid the panties on, and clasped her bra behind her. He was standing outside of the door pounding on it.

"Bella, if you don't open this door, I'm going to break it down. I want you now."

She slid on the heels, and opened the door.

He was not expecting her to wear that, especially the shoes. He had to reign in some control, otherwise, he would tear it all off and fuck her immediately.

"Baby, you look like a supervixen in that, and because you have me so deeply aroused, I am going to have to detain you."

He pulled her closer to him so that one of her arms was behind her back. While he was leading her over to the bed, he took her other arm and pinned it back as well. Within a few moments, Edward pulled out his pair of Smith and Wesson's, and fastened them around her wrists, making sure they were not cutting into her skin.

"Miss, Swan, you have the right to remain under my control for as long as I say. Everything you say can and will be done to you only by me. Am I making myself clear?"

With a simple nod of her head, he took that as a yes and he proceeded to rip her bra off her body.

"Now…I have to do a full body search to make sure you don't have any…anything hidden."

His hot, dirty words were driving her to a new level of desire. His long fingers were roaming all over her curves, and the fullness of her tits was mouthwatering to him.

"You don't need these anymore," he told as he tore her panties from her body. Then he placed two fingers inside of her pussy.

"I'll have to use more than my fingers to make sure you aren't keeping anything else from me."

"Oh, please fuck me now Edward."

"Do you mean with my mouth or my cock?"

He pulled his boxers down to grind himself against her ass.

"Both," she screamed out.

He ran his fingertips over her ass and stated running his tongue down her spine. It became unbearable as he licked his way over her cheeks and between her legs. Spreading her apart for his pleasure, he ate her pussy as if he were a condemned man eating his last meal. It was all she could do to breathe while he continuously lapped her. Edward could feel her muscles quivering in reaction to her on coming orgasm. He grabbed her hips for leverage and devoured her sweet nectar.

Her orgasm took over and owned her body. Every gasp and moan came from her wanton soul. It was her every fantasy and dream come true, for her man to dominate her. Her body was shaking as she came slowly down from her high, but she could still feel small waves of pleasure coursing through her walls. He lifted her body up and turned her around with her face at his cock. Lifting her chin, he had to be certain she was alright with this game. The sight of her smile and glossed over eyes was more than enough to let him know it was fine to succeed.

"Miss Swan, I still have you in shackles, and I am still in control, so it would be prudent of you to do exactly as I say…so…you need to right now…suck my cock."

He pulled her face closer to his erection, and she eagerly parted her lips. Their eyes met as she took her tongue over his shaft and swirled it over the top. The amount of want they shared for each other was evident and perfectly matched. Edward put his hand on the back of her neck and guided her mouth over his straining cock.

She took him all the way into her mouth, and hollowed out her cheeks. It felt so good for her to suck his cock and for numerous reasons. As much as he wanted to come in her mouth, he wanted to fuck her pussy till her came, so he lifted her head slowly off of him.

"I'm going to fuck your wet pussy now," he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Are you wet for me Miss Swan?"

Bella could only moan at his question, the feeling of his hot breath on her was too much to bare.

He turned her body so she was against his chest, and he could feel her breathing becoming deep and rapid. Placing both of her feet on the floor, he bent her body over the bed. Next time he would have to have a camera for such moments as this. After a few quick strokes of his cock, he spread her folds and took her as deeply as possible.

"So tight, baby…so sweet."

When he was fully buried in her pussy, Bella was already on the verge of coming again. One of his n=hands was placed on top of her hands that were bound by the handcuffs, and the other one was on her ass. The he began to spank her.

"You are such a bad girl, wearing these heels and submitting yourself to my dark side."

Her walls clenched over his cock firmly, as if she would never allow him to be released. It had never been this over powering before for either one. Now he was struggling to breathe as his cock exploded deeply in her pussy. He pushed in a few more times before he collapsed on his girl's back.

"Hold on, sweetheart, I'm going to take the cuffs off," he said as he pulled out of her and took a spare set of key from the dresser. Releasing her hands, Bella relaxed her shoulder, and lay on her back in his bed. The key and cuffs were put away for another time, and Edward slid close next to her. He took her wrists in his hands, rubbed them, and kissed them softly.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Edward, I welcomed everything you wanted to give me tonight. If there was any pain, it was more than well worth it." She snuggled up into his embrace.

"I love you, Bella, and I want you to be my girl forever."

"I love you, too. All I've ever wanted was to be your girl. From the first moment I saw you in college after you saw my performance, I was smitten with you."

They kissed slowly, savoring each brush of their lips.

"Smitten? I've never heard you use that word before, baby."

"That's not the only feeling I felt when I met you."

His eyes encouraged her to continue.

"You made me want to melt the first time you held my hand. Those initial kisses we shared bound me to your heart in ways I could have never imagined. Even now, when you look at me, it feels as if you can see right into my soul. Edward, my love for you knows no boundaries."

"Oh baby, you make me feel alive; that I can do anything because of your love. I would go to the deepest pit of hell to protect you from any danger. Sometimes, I feel as if I can't possibly love you enough because you deserve the world."

Tears started falling down her face, and he rubbed them away with his thumbs.

"Promise me that you'll always be mine, Edward?"

"There will never be any one else in my heart but you. I have plans for our future, and once this stalker is gone, I intend to move forward with them."

He saw her brows scrunch together as he knew she was thinking.

"What kind of plans are you talking about?"

"Let's just say I have a ring, Bella, and it needs to be on your left hand soon."

-LISTP-

"Mike, do you really have to go to out of town for a few days?"

"Honey, you know I don't want to leave you alone, especially with that nut job stalker on the loose. I am just glad I taught you how to use a gun. Keep it with you tomorrow night."

She was not pleased that her husband was going to be in Olympia overnight. The following morning, she had a doctor's appointment, and Lauren wanted him to be there. This was their first baby; everything had to be right. The tears began spilling over her cheeks, and he heard the quiet sobs.

"What's wrong?"

"I…I just want you to be here when I go to the doctor. You were so happy when I told you about the baby."

He walked across the room to kneel in front of her while she sat on the bed.

"What gave you the impression that I'm not happy about our child? I'm ecstatic that we're pregnant babe."

"Are you sure you feel the same way I do?"

He ran his hands over her hair and then down to her stomach.

"Lauren, the fact that you are carrying our child is nothing short of fantastic. I am looking forward to becoming a dad."

He pulled her close to him in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Mike, it's just that my hormones have been all over the place lately. One moment, I'm relaxed, and the next I'm angry. It does not make any sense."

"It will be well worth it, honey. All I want you to do is concentrate on the nursery right now. Did you order the baby bag you wanted?"

"I have it narrowed down to two choices. We have to see if the baby will let us know what it is before I can order it."

He only wanted his wife to be happy.

"We'll find out what we're having in a few more weeks, Mike. Then I can start going shopping."

He had to smile at her words.

-LISTP-

Esme woke up, shaken to her core because of the dream she had about her son. Sadly, she had not seen him in several months and thinking about the last time he was over, it made her heat break. They got into an argument over _her_. Carlisle was absolutely certain that she was back in his life, but he swore that they had been apart for years. He pulled out some pictures a private investigator had taken, but her husband had the pictures manipulated to make it look like they were together. Was there no limit to what he would not do to hurt Edward?

Now she was trying to push away that dream, and it was about the stalker that was killing young women. Did her son have any involvement in the case? It plagued her sometimes when she heard about this, never knowing how close he was to the heart of danger. He'd always been a bit of a thrill seeker, and it had never set well with her.

Esme made up her mind right then and there. She wanted to talk to him, to see for herself if he was really doing fine. After all, she was his mom, and it was part of her job to take care of her child.

-LISTP-

The sun felt good on her face as Bella began to wake from a deep slumber. Edward snaked his arms around her body, and that felt far better than the sunshine. He placed several kisses along her shoulder and neck, making her feel aroused.

"Did you sleep well, Bella? I kept feeling your sweet hips moving over me last night."

She recalled dreaming about a hammock, strawberries, and him.

"What if I told you that I dreamed about us feeding each other strawberries while we were in a hammock at the beach?"

A rather devious grin spread across his face. His girl had quite a dream last night.

"I'd love to do that one day, baby. Being on a beach with you is something I want to do soon."

"We have never been to one together, but knowing you, that will change eventually."

She thought about his words last night. He wanted them to be married one day. How many times had she hoped he would want to be her husband? More than she could count. Now it seemed more definite than it had ever before.

She took his face into her hands, and studied his moss green eyes. All the love she would ever need was present in them.

"I can see my future in your eyes, Edward, and it's brilliant." She whispered and leaned in kissing his lips, showing him how much she loved him. It was a slow buildup of intense passion, and it left them both wanting more. She pulled him inside of her aching pussy, and wrapped her body around his tightly. The feeling of his hard cock filling her was exhilarating. He ran his fingers over her ass while sucking in her neck.

"Fuck, you feel so good, baby."

She felt the tingling in her toes as the waves of pleasure started to consume her. It was hard for him to control the shimmy of her hips, but his cock became harder as she grinded her body closer to him. Her head went back as she came apart in his arms. Suddenly, his orgasm claimed its' hold over him, and, after one more deep thrust, he came hard inside of her tight pussy. Their pants and moans filled the room.

"I had to have you this morning, Edward. I wanted you to mark me again."

Her words burned right into his heart, and she needed to know it.

"How could I ever deny you anything, Bella? You own me for life, and I love you."

"I love you, and you pretty much own me always. I can't get enough of you, ever."

They held each other, enjoying the afterglow of their love.

-LISTP-

He had driven by Lauren's house last night. After much research and hacking into various web sites, he discovered that the company her husband worked for was sending him on an overnight trip to Olympia. This would work out perfectly for him. He could break into the house through a window easily. The plan to kill her was fairly simple, but he wanted to have fun this time around. He wanted to record her for posterity, so he made sure to charge the battery on the camera. The torch was set on charge as well.

How could he waste the hours away before going to her home? He pulled out the pictures of his last kill. Angela looked so helpless when he tied her up, and it started to make him feel hard. Then he studied the picture of his brunette, and that sliver of her skin was sending him over the edge. He was going to mark that part of her body. Her time was coming soon, and the detective would not be able to stop him. The more he thought about how he was going to fuck her, maybe even after she was dead, was bringing him closer to his orgasm. He came all over his hand, and then he had the best idea of all…he'd fuck her right in front of the detective. He laughed menacingly.

-LISTP-

Esme pulled up in front of Edward's house, and it looked the same as it had the last time she had visited him. He still had his signature silver Volvo, but there was another car in the driveway…a red convertible. Seeing that made her wonder if there was someone in his life.

She walked up to the front door, and knocked on it. She could hear his voice, and another one, a distinctly feminine voice. When the door was opened, she was met by a face she was not expecting.

"What are you doing here, in my son's home?"

Edward came walking toward the door, pulling his girl into his arms to shield her.

"Bella is here because we belong together, mom. Why are you here?"

She walked inside, and closed the door, uninvited.

"I came because I wanted to check on your welfare, son. I'm glad I did. Do you know what your father will do to you when he discovers this affair you're having with her?"

Something akin to furious, violent wrath flew all over him when he heard his mother speak in such a disrespectful manner about Bella. Instead, he focused on the smell of her perfume and the feel of her hand on his arm. She always belonged in his arms, and nothing was going to pull her away.

"Mom, this is not some _affair_; we're together now. Nothing you or anyone else on the face of this Earth planet can say will separate us because our love for each other has a life force of its own. If you think you have a way of breaking us apart, then you had better think twice. I would assume that you have more than enough to occupy your time with dad and his…extracurricular activities."

Esme was shocked by everything her son said to her, and her mind was reeling from what he said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Edward."

"Then maybe you should go tend to the _affairs_ of your home, Mom. Please leave us alone now."

She huffed indignantly as she walked to the door and let herself out.

Edward cradled Bella tightly, whispering sweet words of love and affection.

"I meant every word, Bella. She can't hurt us, and I really don't care about her opinion of us either."

She looked up and smiled at him.

"You really feel that way about our love for each other?"

"I always have, baby. Are you okay?"

"I'm great, actually. You'll never know how much I was turned on by how you defended us to her."

"Are you serious?" Images began to run through his mind, images of his Bella writhing in pleasure under him.

"I know the way your mind works, and I'd be happy to indulge your fantasies later on tonight, Edward. Besides, we have the weekend to ourselves."

Just knowing they were going to spend hours alone together was more than enough to get him through the rest of his day.

**We will learn the identity of the stalker very soon! There was a small clue in this chapter. What do you think of how Edward stood up to his mom? He'll do anything for Bella. I'd love to read any comments you all leave for me! Love you all! XXOO **


	10. Chapter 10 Revelations

**Chapter 10 Revelations**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Would you all like some more intensity? I hear a resounding "yes" in response from your reviews. Reading them is a highlight of my day, as well seeing how many of you have this under your faves or are following it. Thank you all! To my sweet friend and fabulous beta, Kitty Masen, you make this fic better with your fantastic skills! *MWAH* Now more of what you've been waiting for…**

Emmett and Edward were hoping against hope that the forensics department would find any DNA evidence in the car that was towed from Angela's house. So far, they had not found any fingerprints on the evidence they collected. Edward was afraid they may have hit another wall. His mind drifted over to finding information about Michael Newton, and he pulled out his notes about him. The woman that he spoke with mentioned that he worked at Radio Shack for a few months. Was it possible that the stalker worked there as well? He searched online for the stores that were in the Seattle area, and he called Emmett into his office.

"Ed, please tell me this is a lead for us." He sat down in the chair next to the desk.

"I can't say that it will give us any solid answers, but I have to do something. My girl's life is in danger, as well as the other dancers. You want to make some calls, too?"

"Yeah. I want this asshole behind bars just as much as you do."

After a few calls, Emmett got in touch with the manager of the store Michael worked at three months prior to the first homicide. He knew that Michael was missing now, but he had never heard of his friend who went by the name of Jay or James. The manager offered to help them as much as possible, and they hung up. Emmett walked into Edward's office and told him about their conversation.

"What is the next direction we take?"

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"How did this guy get your cell number, Ed?"

"I have a private number. The only way he'd be able to get it would be through a private investigator or hacking a web site."

Edward had a sudden realization, and it was written across his face. Emmett knew that he had stumbled across something.

"My father hired a private investigator several months ago to trail me. He wanted to know every detail of my life, mainly because he wanted to know if Bella and I were together. Carlisle had the pictures manipulated to look as though Bella was with me in the pictures. The investigator followed her and knew all about her. He had to have pictures of her. Emmett…he has to be the stalker!"

"Holy shit, man, if you are right on this, and I don't doubt that you are, then you've gotten us this much closer to finding him."

Edward had to catch his breath after taking this all in. It was quite possible that his father was the catalyst in this entire situation. His anger and ruthless spite toward his own son had set all of this in motion. As far as he was concerned, Carlisle had blood on his hands, and he was ultimately going to get what he deserved.

"Let's run this over with the chief and get his input. Then we need to find the name of the investigator."

As they walked into the chief's office, he felt more determined to solve the case.

-LISTP-

After the confrontation with Esme, Bella was deeper in love with her man that ever before. He was concerned that she was upset; instead, her face beamed with pride and affection. She was completely turned on when he defended their love. As soon as he returned from work tonight, she was going to show him how deeply this moved her. There were just enough hours for her to get ready for tonight.

Now she had to concentrate on practice, and as soon as the familiar Arabian beats filled the hall, everything else was pushed away. The music called for her entrance to be explosive and powerful. It was better to start off a performance this way to capture the audience's attention. There would be plenty of other routines that required her to be more aloof and slow in the start. Bella drew a visual map of the floor in her mind, so that she could see the movements as shapes to make with her feet. It was imperative for her to mix the moves because she wanted to keep the audience on their toes.

The choreography required that she transition with a shimmy and then walk back. Then she would move forward and pivot bump using arm undulations. Bella lost herself in the fast movements of her body, and when she did this, confidence radiated from her core. Anyone who could see her knew that she put her heart into every part of her belly dancing. The manifestation of her dream was amazing.

For a few hours, she rehearsed the choreography, and then she decided to check in with Philip. He had not come down this morning. After she grabbed a bottle of water, she made her way up to his office.

"Hey Philip, I wanted to come by and let you know I was done for the day. How are you doing?"

He looked up from the papers scattered over his desk.

"I'm fine, Bella, just a little tired. Angela's parents contacted me, and they are having a funeral for her next week. Do you think you can tell the rest of the ladies?"

"That will not be a problem. Are you going to hire any more dancers?"

"It's a possibility. I don't want to put extra undue pressure on you or the others."

She could see the lines of tension on his face.

"Besides, Lauren will be taking some time off soon since she's pregnant. I will need someone to fill her spot for a few months."

"What can I do to help you?"

"When I start the interviews, would you please sit in on them with me? You are basically the leader of the troupe, and I need your opinion."

"That will not be a problem, Philip. Do you need me to come by tomorrow? I was going to take the weekend off."

He drank some of his coffee before answering.

"You won't need to come in, Bella. I'm going to be gone for the next two days anyhow. I need a break."

She nodded in agreement.

"I agree. You need a few days away from here, at least to decompress. We've all had a challenging week."

He walked over to give her a hug.

"Enjoy your weekend, Bella, and I'll see you Monday."

She gave him a small wave as she walked out of the office and headed to the dressing room. Now it was time to get ready for plan to seduce her man.

-LISTP-

Aro Voltouri was a busy man, especially with having a psychopath on the loose in Seattle. Handling the media circus and keeping the department in line was becoming a massive headache. He needed his escape, and that is why he was meeting Carlisle Cullen today. They were good friends since they met in college, studying political science together, and they had formed a great partnership over the past few years. Aro was going to give Carlisle the support he needed to win the Mayoral seat in the next few months, and, in return, there would be plenty of women available for his pleasure. In addition, a select choice of drugs would be at his disposal. Life would be good.

He saw his friend walking across the restaurant and waved him over.

"Good to see you, Aro."

"Always a pleasure, Carlisle. Have a seat."

"How is the hunt for the stalker fairing?"

"As good as it can get, but your son appears to making headway. The head of the department thinks the sun rises and sets on him, but I know you feel otherwise."

"I'd prefer to stay away from the subject of Edward Cullen. Now I have some good news for you. The shipment will be in earlier than I expected, possibly tonight. We can meet later on, if you want."

"Make it after eight tonight. Renata wants me to have dinner with her, and then I will have an opportunity to leave. She won't think twice when I tell her I am going to your house."

They ironed out the details of their meeting later on in the evening.

-LISTP-

Esme went home after the debacle at her son's house and had a stiff drink. It was early in the morning, but she felt it was appropriate given the circumstances. Her husband no longer loved her, and Edward wanted nothing to do with her. All she had was her house and her circle of friends now. She sobbed into her martini. Once she was done with her drink, Esme took a long bath and decided to take a nap.

A few hours after she had woken up, there was a hard knock at the door, and she jumped when she heard the noise.

"Mrs. Cullen, please open the door. It's the police. We need to talk to you."

She ran to the door, hoping that they were not there to give her bad news. Instead, it was Edward and another man waiting for her to open the door. While she had never expected to see him at her door step again, the look on their faces meant business.

"Mrs. Cullen, I'm Detective Emmett McCarty, and you know my partner. Can we please come inside?"

"Do I have any other choice?"

"You would do us a huge favor by helping us."

"Come inside, gentlemen."

Emmett looked around the foyer and the living room. Edward apparently came from money, but he never flaunted it. They sat down on a couch across from his mother.

"I would offer you all something to drink, but I think you would rather get down to business."

"Mom, I need to see the pictures the private investigator took for dad. It's very important."

He wanted to get those pictures and leave as fast as possible. Being in the presence of his mother was making him uncomfortable. The one thing that was getting him through his ordeal was the knowledge that he would spend the entire weekend with Bella. It would only be a few more hours, and they could spend hours lost in each other.

"Why do you need the pictures?"

"Ma'am, we believe they can lead us to the name of the stalker that is killing women around the city."

She looked stunned by his words.

"What do they have to do with a homicidal maniac?"

"It would take too long to explain, mom, and it's the only reason we came here."

After a deep breath, Esme resigned herself to the fact that this was important. She went into Carlisle's office to find the pictures that were in manila envelope. It was a rare occasion that she went in there because she was not sure what she would find. He spent most of his time in there. She fingered through some of the files, dropping some of them to the floor. The pictures fell out, and she scooped them up, while attempting to rearrange the files.

There was a note on one of them that mentioned a meeting later tonight, and she wondered what that was about. He really had a life that was separate from her, and it had never bothered her until now. Edward's words from this morning echoed through her mind. Was her husband having an affair? She did not have time to be concerned with that possibility.

Emmett and Edward were waiting for her in the foyer.

"Here are the pictures, but I can tell you right now that your father won't be happy I gave those to you. I don't know how angry he will be, but you will need to be prepared for his wrath."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. If he has a problem, he can directly talk to me."

Edward was glad to know that Emmett had taken over that responsibility. They left immediately, driving back to the department with one more clue.

-LISTP-

There were over sixty private investigators in Seattle, and they had to split the work load between each other. Just as Edward was settling into this, he was interrupted by the chief. They had a mandatory meeting to attend that involved the entire police department.

Aro required everyone to be present, unless they were in the field. The meeting room was crowded, filled with officers. After waiting several minutes, Aro finally came up to the podium.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentleman. It has come to my attention that there have been some forgeries made on some checks from the business department. Internal Affairs has contacted me on this matter, and they will be speaking with many of you one on one. If you all have any information, please let them know as soon as possible. I will not allow this to continue, and whoever is responsible will be punished. Thank you."

It was quite possibly the shortest meeting any of them had ever attended, but everyone left the room quietly. Neither Edward nor Emmett knew anything about the forged checks; they did not have time to do that. If Internal Affairs wanted to question them, they would not get very much information. They went back to their offices ready to get back to work.

Right before it was time to leave, there was an email that came from the Pacific Northwest Investigator's Association. They were letting him know that one of the members had not renewed their license, and that person was named Alistair J. Gacy. He looked at the screen very hard for a few minutes, letting his mind roam over this information. Immediately, he searched the name in the database, but there was nothing listed under his name. It was not lost on him that this man shared the same last name as the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

He emailed this information to the chief since he had left for the weekend. Edward knew this was the man they were looking for, but they only had no proof to link him yet. The forensics department had not come across any evidence from the car or the crime scenes. All they had to go on were the theories he deduced, and they needed something other than that. He ran the name through a public records search, but the facts were several years old. Edward checked out the address, but it belonged to a different person. The phone number was disconnected, but that did not surprise him.

He had the name, but the stalker was covering his tracks very well. Edward had the feeling that this person was going to start making mistakes soon, like most psychopaths. The police were covering all of the dancers, and he was doing everything in his power to protect Bella. He was at another wall now, and it infuriated him that he could not do anything else. It had all come down to a waiting game.

Edward needed to get out of there. This case had a hold on him that could suffocate and rob him of his life. That was not going to happen because, while he loved his career, there was more to life than solving crime. He knew what he could not live without, and that was Bella.

-LISTP-

Just before six, Bella gave her hair one last fluff and dusted some shimmer powder on her collarbone. They were spending their first weekend together in years, and she wanted it to be as memorable as possible. The purple satin slip she was wearing would put a smile on her man's face. Once she heard him at the door, she made mental note to have another key made.

"Bella, you rally should not answer the door wearing just your slip. You know that does…things to me."

He slammed the door behind them and pulled her body into his embrace. There were too many hours since he held her, and they were going to make up for lost time. His hands were running up and down her back, over her ass, and she never wanted him to let go of her. Edward kissed her all over her face, and when their lips met, he licked them slowly. Her lips parted, and he slid his tongue in her mouth. Their kisses took over and he began to lick her neck and earlobe.

"Is your appetite for food diminished now?"

"Baby, when you tempt me this much, I would gladly push away food. I'd rather feast on your supple curves."

She moaned deeply when she heard these words coming out of his mouth. He wanted to slid her lingerie off her body and take her on the couch. Instead he lifted her body into his arms and carried her back to her room. It was their oasis from the rest of the world. There were no stalkers or difficult parents; just them and all the love they had for each other.

When he laid her on the bed, she looked glorious as her rich mahogany tresses were splayed out over the jeweled toned pillows. Bella ran her fingers over her body as he removed his tie and shirt. She pulled her slip up over her hips to reveal her pussy to him. Her fingers made their way between her legs as he tried to get his clothes off as fast as possible. She groaned as she coated them with her wetness and brought it to her lips. Their eyes locked as she dragged her other hand over her pussy and he could not take any more of her sweet torture. Lifting her fingers to his mouth, he sucked greedily. Her eyes closed as she imagined his mouth on other parts of her body.

"I am so glad we have hours of time to spend with each other, Bella. I intend to show you just how much I love you."

The smile that was on her face dazzled him, and he wanted to see that every day for the rest of his life. He crawled over her body and took her body in his arms. Slowly, Edward touched her face with his fingers and his lips.

"I am going to make love to you, baby, until you tell me to stop."

The look of desire flashed across her face, and he wanted to slide on inside of her wet pussy. He pulled the straps of her slip off her shoulders and licked his way to her hard nipples. Then he grabbed her wrists in right hand and held them over her head. Being pinned down by him was turning her on more since she could not wiggle out of his grasp. Bella always wanted him to dominate her because giving him control was the ultimate turn on.

"You like that don't you?" He sucked on her hard nipple as she nodded and whimpered lightly. It turned him on to have her under him like this. Edward placed two fingers at her pussy, teasing her.

"You want more, don't you baby. I can tell because you keep getting wetter."

He let go of her hands and grabbed her hips as he made his way between her legs. Bella watched him as he ate her pussy greedily, lapping at her folds. He sucked her clit, and then she felt the familiar twinge of her muscles contracting.

"I'm…getting close….ooohhhh, Edward….don't stop."

Wild horses could not drag him from her bed at that moment. He wanted to make her fall apart under his touch, so he plunged his tongue into her. Her body shook as he claimed her with his mouth. It was becoming more intense with every time they made love. She looked like an angel to him, and he wanted nothing more than to bury his aching cock in her swollen pussy. Within seconds, he was inside her, feeling the tightness of her walls surrounding his cock and her nails on his back.

"Fuck me, Edward," she screamed.

Her words drove him to push in and out of her at a fast pace. Bella wrapped her legs around him as tightly as her walls were wrapped around his cock. She was not letting go till he was finished. He pressed his forehead against hers.

"Baby, I want you to come all over my cock, and I know you want it, too."

"Oh, yes….ooohhhhh"

"Open your eyes. Let me see those sweet brown eyes when you come, baby."

That was her undoing when he looked into her eyes. The force of her orgasm swept over her body from head to toe, and he could feel her giving way to it. The color of her eyes went from a milky chocolate to deep brown as he fucked her. He felt his balls drawing up, and then he could no longer hold it back.

"Fuck, Bella…I'm…coming."

"Give it to me, Edward."

He filled her pussy with thick, heavy ribbons of his cum. Trying to catch his breath, he slowed down some before pulling out. As he lay on his back, she sat up gazing at her man.

"Are you okay, baby?" He looked concerned.

"I'm wonderful. I just wanted to take a moment to look at you, breathless on my bed. You're everything I ever wanted, and I love you endlessly."

She settled her body on his, content to listen to the beating of his heart.

"I love you so very much, and I want you more with every passing day, Bella. This is just the beginning, and the best is yet to come. Would you like to eat dinner now? You must be starving."

"I'm a little hungry. Can we eat on the couch? I want to snuggle as close to you as I possibly can."

"You can have anything you want, Bella, and I would love to spend all night holding you."

She slipped his shirt on and he put his boxers. He loved the way she wore his shirt, as if it was the most natural thing for her to do. She fastened one lone button.

"Yes, you are going to be in my arms all weekend." He pulled her under his arms as they went to get something to eat.

-LISTP-

He parked the car in front of Lauren's house, and it was pitch black outside. They did not have many neighbors, so this would work to his advantage. After getting out of the car, he made his way over to the bedroom window. There was a small lamp that was on, and he could see her on the other side of the room. Once the glass was broken, he jumped in, and Lauren let out a loud scream. He walked over to her and placed his hand around her head and over her mouth.

"Don't scream like that. We'll be happy together."

**Now you all know who the stalker is, but how are they going to catch him? Detectiveward will catch him eventually. Now let me know what you're thinking! I love you all!**


	11. Chapter 11 Darkness and Light

**Chapter 11 Darkness and Light**

**Disclaimer-I do not own Twilight**

**I am amazed by how much you all love this fic! There are not enough words to express my gratitude. Kitty Masen is the best beta I could ever have. Love you bunches, sweetie. Now, I am letting you all know that this chapter has a violence warning. Hold on tight, you all…**

Alistair was holding her against his body, with his hand tightly over her mouth. Lauren knew she needed to stay calm, even if every part of her wanted to panic. As he began to drag her over to the bed, she bit down on his palm as hard as she could. He released her with a piercing scream, as he was not expecting her to fight back. She ran over to the dresser, opening the drawer to grab the gun.

"Get the fuck out of here," she screamed. "I'll kill you if you don't leave."

He was stuck now, but his mind was working quickly to find a way to remove the gun from her hands. Holding his hands up, Alistair moved closer to her, and she could barely hold the gun. It felt heavy in her hands, as if it weighed a ton. He was within two feet of her, and she was going to shoot him if he got any closer. In a matter of moments, he stepped back and jacked the gun out of her hand, causing it to land far enough away from her where he knew she could not get it. Then he threw her against the corner of the dresser, which gave her a small gash on the side of her head.

Lauren was trying as hard as she could to cower away from him. She prayed to whoever might be listening that she wanted to survive. The look on his face was that of menacing, pure evil. She ran her hand over her head, and she felt the blood running down her face. There was blood on the wall and the dresser. She tried to scream again, but he had a strip of duct tape ready to place over mouth. He jerked her body up from behind, keeping his hand on her head, and threw her onto the bed, grabbing rope from inside his jacket. It was the same rope he'd use for the other girls. Once her wrists were tightly bound, he ripped all of her clothes off, but her bra stayed on.

Hearing her muffled noises made him feel more aroused, and he pulled out the camera.

"Smile, Lauren, you're on camera."

Alistair lit the torch with his other hand, and brought it closer to her body. First, he singed her hair, and the smell made her want to vomit. He brought it over her arms, watching the skin crack and peel from her limbs. The same action was repeated on her legs and, once he was done, it was placed on the floor next to his pants. It was now time for him to fuck her.

Lauren wished for death because she knew what was coming. As she sobbed, she prayed for her baby's soul to go to heaven. Closing her eyes, she could no longer bear to see what was coming.

As soon as he pulled on the gloves and condom, he shoved his fist in her pussy as fast as a he could, hoping it would break her in half. Then a gush of blood came out. It excited him to the point where he slammed his cock into her, thrusting at a violent speed. Right after he came, he pulled her bra off, throwing it over next to the torch. Alistair took the knife out of his jacket and ran it over her chest. Lauren had passed out, but it did not matter to him. He began stabbing her repeatedly till he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Blood was all over the sheets, and it covered his shirt. The adrenaline was coursing through his veins, but he wanted to get out immediately. He was going home to watch the recording over several times before the night was over.

-LISTP-

Aro was waiting for Carlisle at the parking lot behind a strip club in the seedier part of town. The drugs and the prostitutes were his escape from reality, and after his disastrous dinner with his wife, he wanted a woman that would just suck his dick with no questions asked. A little bit of coke would help him to relax. It did not matter if he was the director of the law enforcement agencies. Whatever he did during his free time was his business.

Carlisle finally pulled up, got out and walked over to his friend's car. He had a large bag with him. Aro opened the passenger door for him to sit down inside his car.

"You took your time tonight. Trouble at home with Esme?"

"She's nothing but a constant pain in my ass, but I need her in order to win the race. I just got the order about thirty minutes ago, and that's why I'm running behind. Do you have the check?"

Aro blew out a puff of smoke and stubbed out his cigarette.

"How long have we been friends, Carlisle? You know I don't forget the important things. Here is your check, and you should not have any problem with it."

"Forgery is a lost art form, isn't it?"

Aro gave his friend a deviant smile.

-LISTP-

Bella admired his rear view as he took the dishes into the kitchen. Dinner consisted of Chinese food, but Edward knew she was for desert. He was looking in the cabinets for chocolate sauce.

"I am missing you, Edward…it's getting awfully lonely on this couch. Should I start without you?"

He walked back into the room as she lay on her side. All through their meal, she had tempted him as he fed her, moaning as she ate. His shirt was not going to be on her much longer.

"You are not going to start without me, not when I have other…ideas."

"The most dangerous thing a person can have is an idea."

She lifted her brows to emphasize her statement.

"Having the right amount of motivation is even more deadly, baby."

He replied as he set the sauce on the table, and she eyed it.

"I take it we're going to have sexy times with chocolate tonight?"

"It's not going on ice cream, that's for sure."

His lips caught hers in a slow, deep kiss, and it intensified when he ripped his shirt off her body. Her body was flat on the couch, and she urged him to come over with her eyes. He opened the jar and quickly removed his boxers. She kept her eyes on him as he dipped his finger in the sauce, bringing it to her mouth.

"That's right, baby, suck my finger like you want to suck my cock."

She grabbed him after he said that, and her grip around him was firm. He took more of the chocolate, dribbling it on her tits. It was cold on her skin at first, but, once his mouth was on her, the chill was replaced with heat. He licked and sucked at her nipples voraciously before kissing his way back up her neck to her mouth. She nibbled on his lips as their tongues began to touch. Overcome with need, Bella lifted her hips to grind against his cock, and she wanted him to slide into her pussy. He could taste the chocolate on her tongue and lips.

"I need…you…now," she moaned in a breathy voice as he began to suck her neck.

In one powerful thrust, he slid his pulsing cock into her wet pussy, unable to stop the building desire that raged inside of him. He pulled her legs up over his shoulders, sliding in and out of her as fast as he could.

"So sweet, baby. Touch your clit for me."

She played with her sensitive nub, pinching it hard between her fingers, bringing herself closer to the edge. Waves of endless pleasure began to take over her body. Listening to the beautiful, seductive sounds she made while coming was making his cock pulsate harder. The ache grew inside of him till it took over and he came in long spurts. As limber as she was, he moved her legs down. Then he saw her marvelous smile, and it felt like his heart exploded from the love he had for her.

"Bella," he began as he pulled her into his embrace, "you are my everything, and I don't tell you that enough. My love for you is limitless."

Alone tear fell down her face as she took in the weight of his words. She ran her fingers through his messy auburn hair.

"I'm all wrapped up in you, Edward Cullen, and I never want to find a way out. I love you more than words could ever express."

She curled up in his lap, feeling sleepy and content.

"Are you tired, sweetheart?"

She nodded her head in agreement.

"Let me take you to bed."

They stood up, and he caught her before she could fall over. Edward lifted her body into his arms, carrying her to bed. The jar of sauce could wait until the morning to be put away.

He lay her body down on the plush bed. The satin linens suited her personality with their vibrant colors. He stood over her for a few moments, marveling in her beauty. Bella was everything he wanted for the rest of his life. He was going to drop to one knee and propose to her. They would eventually marry, and he wanted to have a family with his girl. She would look ravishing carrying their child, and he could not help but smile when he thought about that.

Edward walked around to the other side of the bed, getting in behind her. His arms were carefully wrapped around her, keeping her near him.

"One day, baby," he whispered, "I will marry you, and I will do the best I can to make you happy always."

Bella had already drifted into a peaceful slumber, but that night, she dreamed of becoming his wife.

-LISTP-

In the early morning hours, Mike decided to go home early from work. He had attended the most important meeting, and then he let his boss know he was needed at home. In a little over an hour, he returned back to Seattle and parked his car in the driveway. He entered the house, unaware of anything that had occurred over night, but something felt odd.

Mike walked back to the bedroom, stood in the door way, and was frozen in place. Shock was the only emotion that registered in his brain. He bolted from the room, running through the house, screaming. Once he was outside, Mike pulled out his phone and dialed 911. Then he crumpled to the ground.

-LISTP-

Edward woke up the following morning to an empty bed, but he could hear Bella's voice from another room. He could smell her intoxicating fragrance on her pillow. Waking up in this manner would suit him fine for the rest of his life. He sat up as he heard her walking back to the bedroom.

"Good morning. Are you ready to eat?"

She was still naked, and she had a tray with breakfast in her hands. His mouth was watering at the sight of his girl.

"Morning to you, too, Bella. You did not have to go to all this trouble."

She set the tray down and gave him a soft kiss.

"This was not a problem, Edward. It's been too long since we've had breakfast in bed."

She picked up a piece of honeydew melon and fed it to him. He licked the juice that was running down her finger, causing her to purr like a kitten. Edward took her finger into his mouth and sucked it. A soft gasp escaped her mouth, and the inexhaustible desire she felt for him reared its' head once again. She slid her finger out slowly before picking up another piece of fruit. Keeping his eyes on her, Edward lifted the cup of coffee to his mouth. Instead of placing it in her mouth, she dragged it over her chin and the hollow of her neck. As soon as she began groaning, he set aside the tray and he pounced on his girl, earning a giggle from her.

"You knew what you were doing with that fruit, Bella. I don't have to ask you what you want because I already know what it is. There won't be anything soft or slow about this."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

He laughed darkly before kissing her deeply. His mouth moved quickly as their tongues danced together. If she wanted him to take control, then this was the moment where he was going to make her dreams come true. He pinned her down with his knees on either side of her hips.

"You've got such a dirty mind, Detective," she said. "Let me dirty it up even more."

"Fuck, baby… if you know what's good for you, you'll get on your knees now."

Bella turned over as fast as she could, wanting him to ride her deep and fast. His mouth ran down her spine, leaving a trail of intense heat. He was not about to tease her pussy, not this time. Plunging two of his very long fingers inside, he could feel her wetness seeping over them. It aroused him thoroughly, but he pulled them out so he could use his cock instead.

She was craving him now, wanting him to satisfy her longings as only he could. When she

felt Edward pushing his cock into her pussy, she screamed his name, and his firm hold on her body became even tighter. She barely had time to breathe when her orgasm rocked her body to her core. If he was not holding her as firmly, Bella would have collapsed on the bed by now. He felt his cock begin to twitch.

"I'm…ugh, baby…I'm coming," he yelled.

It was pleasure and pain combined, but he never wanted it to stop. He slowed down and pulled out carefully. She let out a long sigh before she turned around.

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too. Let me hold you now."

They snuggled up in bed, enjoying the rest of their breakfast, but the sound of his phone ringing interrupted their morning. As much as he did not want to respond, he knew it had to be important because no one would call him at his hour if it were not important.

"Detective Cullen."

"We have another homicide on our hands, Cullen, and I need you to come down to 22 Raven Street."

"Who was it?"

"Another one of the dancers was murdered. Just get here as soon as possible."

"I'll be there in less than fifteen minutes."

He turned off the phone and set in back in the bag. This was not the way he wanted to spend his time with Bella. He sat down next to her and held both of her hands.

"I have to go to work for a short while, baby. The chief told me there was another homicide."

He pulled her body onto his arms as hot tears slid down her face. Going to a crime scene was not settling well with him. He lifted her chin and kissed her softly.

"As much as I want you here, I want you to get this over with because they need you, Edward. No one else can solve crime or get into a psychopath's mind like you can. That's one of the many reasons I fell hard for you in college. Your brilliance amazes me."

He gave her a soft kiss, holding back just enough because he had to leave.

"I will always come back to you, Bella."

He dressed quickly in jeans and a black polo, and they shared one more kiss. She walked him to the door. As she heard him driving away, she decided to handle her emotions the best way possible by belly dancing.

-LISPT-

The crime scene was gory to say the least, and everyone wanted out of there. One of the officers verified the location of where Mike was the previous night. He was immediately ruled out as a suspect after his manager told the police he was in Olympia till a few hours ago. Mike was beside himself with grief for his lost wife and unborn child. Edward came across this fact, and it deeply angered him. This stalker was still on the loose; what if he did something to Bella? While that was a possibility, he just could not dwell on that now. He silently reminded himself that he was doing the best he could do to keep her safe.

Emmett was taking detailed notes when he looked up at him.

"Ed, this guy is seriously fucked in the head. Her body was burned…what is he going to do next?"

"He's becoming more…sadistic. He wants more attention, and the more pain he can inflict on his victims, the more he gets out of it. This guy has to do more now to satisfy his depravity."

"So we basically have a modern day Ted Bundy on our hands?"

"I hope not, Em, because he confessed to killing over 30 people."

Edward walked over to the dresser, and examined the corner where there was blood. A few fingerprints were on the wall. He took several pictures. If these were the stalker's prints, then they could have the evidence necessary to take to the district attorney's office to get a warrant. He called the chief over to examine this, and they both enthusiastically agreed on this

All of the normal procedures were followed, and the house was taped off once they were finished. Mike was still lingering in a state of shock, and his sister arrived to take him to her house. Edward got back into his car when he heard his phone ringing.

-LISTP-

It all worked out better than he had planned. Alistair was more than satisfied with the outcome. Utilizing the torch was just a stroke of genius, and it was going to be a part of his next plan. His brunette was next, as he had left the best for last. It was going to take him a day or so to get his plan together, but this was the prize. He'd wanted her ever since Carlisle Cullen gave him that assignment. She had belonged to him since then. Every other girl was simply killed because he enjoyed killing them. He was ready for his brunette, but he was going to entertain himself first with a conversation with the Detective.

-LISTP-

"Cullen"

"How is my tantalizing brunette?"

"Fuck you, Alistair. I know you did it all."

"I'm not done yet, Cullen. You only think you can catch me. I'm the most cold blooded son of a bitch you'll ever meet."

"You can quote serial killers all you want, but I know it's only a matter of time now."

Alistair laughed darkly.

"Come and get me."

The line went dead, and he felt nothing but raw hatred. Edward needed to get this under control because he had to return to Bella. Just knowing that she was waiting at home for him started to make him feel calmer. He let his thoughts roam over to their erotic love making throughout the night. Her body responded beautifully to his every caress. Watching her come was nothing less than a sacred moment. His foot pressed down on the accelerator because he needed to get back to his girl.

-LISTP-

Once she opened the door, he could hear the music from her bedroom.

"Were you practicing?"

"How else do I handle what reality throws my way?"

He followed her into the bedroom, where she turned off her iPod. Her hair was pulled up in a high pony tail, and he loved how messy she was. It brought out certain feelings of lust and want. She took off her hip scarf while he was walking closer.

"Let me do the rest, baby. Do you want to take a shower with me?"

He started to unfasten her bra as she turned her head to look at him.

"I want to do everything with you, Edward. We need each other right now. Our love is what gets us through this nightmare."

She turned around as soon as he pulled it off her chest, and she laid her head on his chest.

"Let's heal each other, Bella, under the water."

**Alistair quoted directly from Ted Bundy. Don't you all love Edward's brilliance? He will eventually catch him. Please let me know your thoughts, you all! **


	12. Chapter 12 A Ride in the Convertible

**Chapter 12 A Ride in the Convertible**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight**

**Are we all okay after that last chapter? Detectiveward is holding my hands the entire time. Thank you, Kitty Masen for adding your magic touch to this fic. Love you! And thank you to all of my readers. Here's more of what we all want….**

Carlisle walked into his library after having another unpleasant meal with his wife. Her attitude was becoming far too difficult to handle, but, unfortunatley he needed her by his side now more than ever. Thankfully, she had left for a few hours to spend time with her friends, and he finally had some peace and quiet. Why was his desk in such a state of disaster? Folders were turned over, notes were scattered, and books were on the floor. No one else ever comes in here, not even the maid, because Carlisle kept confidential information in this room.

He began the task of straightening the room, cursing under his breath. As he was placing various documents back into the folders, something felt off and out of place. There was something missing. He did a mental count of what was present. Nine files out of ten were on his desk. The tenth one contained the pictures of Edward that were taken by the investigator her hired, Alistair Gacy. Immediately, he suspected Esme, but why would she want the contents of that particular folder? He pulled out his phone and called her.

"Hello Carlisle."

"Esme, you need to tell me where the pictures are now."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"This is not the time to play dumb. Where did you put the pictures the investigator took?"

"I had to turn them over to the police. Edward and another officer came by the other day. They said it was important."

White hot anger pumped through his veins.

"Why did you give them to Edward? He is the last person that needed them."

"They said it was for the stalker case. I had no option, Carlisle. I'm hanging up. Good bye."

He threw his phone against the wall and went over to the decanter of scotch pouring himself a large drink. Esme should have never have given up the pictures, especially if it was Edward wanting them. With Aros' help, he could get the pictures back, but Carlisle did not want to see his son. It was time to talk with his partner in crime.

-LISTP-

Edward pulled Bella into the shower after the temperature was set, and began to run his long fingers over her curves. He did not just want to worship his girl, he needed to show her how fiercely protective he was of her. They both needed this time alone to soothe each other and to heal their emotional wounds. It was beyond love making; it was a union of their souls. His hands were around her head, cradling it as they explored each other's mouths.

Bella was raising her body up on her toes, and he noticed that. He picked her body up, hitching her legs around his waist and moving them over to the wall. She was grinding against him, desperate for his touch.

"Just take me, Edward. I want you."

He looked into her eyes to make certain that she was ready. As he entered her wet pussy, their eyes locked. A gasp escaped her lips as he filled her completely. Nothing about this was going to be soft or slow, and that's just the way they wanted it right now.

"Bella… you are… mine," he said in between his heavy pants.

She was dragging her nails along his back, marking him as her own. His words brought her closer to the edge. As they began exploring each other's mouths, he felt he walls tightening around him. Her cries of pleasure echoed through the bathroom as her orgasm tore through her. It was only a matter of moments before he joined her, pulling her body even closer to him. As hard as it was for him to breathe, it was even harder for him to slow his rhythm. He gently eased out and set her down on her feet.

Her body was shaking and Edward immediately noticed that.

"I'm going to wash you off, baby, and then you need to rest for a bit."

She gave him a dazzling smile.

"It was well worth it. You can wear me out like that any day."

Once they were done in the shower, he stepped out to get a towel, and he reached his hand out for her. They stood there for several minutes, content to gaze in each other's eyes. She knew she was safe, and there was nothing he wouldn't do to always make her feel protected.

-LISTP-

Alistair was working on his plan to kidnap his brunette, and this one required all of his energy. The detective would have his eyes on her all of the time now, and getting her alone would be quite the challenge. He would have to find a way to separate them for enough time for him to grab her. Pacing around the room, he looked over his arsenal and an idea came to him. Since it appeared that the detective was staying with her at night, there would have to be a good reason to get him away from her. Why not plant a pipe bomb at the performance hall? Every member of the law enforcement department officer would be there, including the detective, and then his brunette will be ripe for the taking.

He had everything he needed to make it happen…duct tape, batteries, nails, and plenty of gunpowder. He was tearing apart his place looking for the right cylinder, when he came across some old metal pipes under the sink. They were left behind by the last tenants, and it would be perfect. Alistair moved quickly, gathering all of the necessary items. It took him a few hours, but the bomb was ready for detonation.

How was he going to get her out of the house now? Something like a house fire would get her pretty little ass out as fast as possible. He wanted to be able to get into the house because setting a fire on the inside would make the place burn faster. For now, he would settle on the outside, and it would take the fire department longer to respond since they would have their hands filled with the bomb.

Once he could get her out of the house, he'd grab her from behind and use a choke hold on her. It would not take much to overpower her, and she was plenty small enough to fit into the trunk. Then he'd get the hell out of dodge and bring her back to his place where the fun could really begin. Would he use the torch this time? Possibly. Alistair wanted to take his time with her, and he would have plenty of it. What he really wanted was to get the detective there so he could watch him fuck her before he killed her. That would be the ultimate satisfaction, as well as killing afterward. No one would be able to stop him because he would have control of that last little breath coming out of both of their bodies.

He took a long look in the cracked mirror and smiled at his reflection. Soon he would look into Bella's eyes and she would see the face of depravity.

-LISTP-

Esme returned home later then Carlisle had expected. He was waiting for her in the living room with a glass of scotch. The look on his face was enough to make her cringe away from him.

"I'm not going to waste any time talking to you about those pictures. You had no right to go into my office and hand them over. Do you know what I can do to you, Esme?"

She cowered away from him.

"You wouldn't dare, Carlisle. Not with the election coming up."

"Once I win the seat, I can do anything I want to you. A divorce would be the least of your problems. I can ruin you with just one phone call."

There would be no way she could run from the truth, and then her life would be on the brink of disaster.

"Please just wait till after the election. Just give me a little more time."

He had a scowl on his face as he considered her words.

"I'll walk away from the money, but leave me my dignity."

"Get out of my sight while I think about it, Esme," he replied coldly.

She ran from the room and up the stairs as fast as her feet could take her.

-LISTP-

Bella slept deeply for a few hours while Edward held her. It was peaceful for him to watch over her and to place soft kisses on her face. This is how he wanted to spend his life… a career in investigations and being with Bella. Ultimately, he wanted for them to be married, and maybe have a family one day. He knew she was taking birth control now, as she had for several years. Her mom, Renee, died from ovarian cancer, and the chances of Bella having it one day were high.

Edward sighed heavily as he thought about that possibility, and she wrapped her arms around him tighter. He brushed aside a few stray hairs that fell across her face as he could feel her stirring.

"Hey," she whispered as she looked up into his green eyes.

"Hello. Did you sleep well?"

She pulled her body up to stretch her arms and neck.

"I always sleep better when I'm in your arms."

He sat up and rubbed his fingers over her face. She was looking over at the window.

"I know what I want to do with you this afternoon, Edward. The sun is out, which is a rare treat for us. Why don't we take my car and go on a picnic? I remember the meadow we used to go to in college."

"That was one of my favorite places to take you, baby. Going on a picnic today sounds wonderful. Let's get some take out because I don't want you to spend all afternoon cooking."

"Thank you," she responded. "Now let's get dressed.

Bella looked in her closet for a few minutes while he was in the bathroom. There was a short white sundress with pink roses that she wanted to wear for him. She decided to forgo a bra since it had one built into it. There was one other thing she did not put on either. The look on Edward's face would be priceless when he discovered this. Bella was counting on him not expecting it.

She sat down at her dressing table to put on her makeup. As she was dabbing on her perfume, a low whistle came from across the room. Turning around, she gave her man a seductive come hither look as she crossed her legs.

"Detective Cullen, do you think this is appropriate for me to wear today?"

Bella stood up and turned around to give him a full view.

"Baby, I want you to only wear that dress when we are together. I love the way it looks on you, but I know how other men think."

She stood right under him as he leaned down to kiss her lips softly.

"Let me get my sandals on and I'll be ready to go."

He wanted nothing more than to ravish her in that very spot, but they needed to get out soon.

They walked outside holding hands, and the sunlight brought out the red highlights in her hair.

He opened the door of her car and she sat down in the driver's seat. Since the sun was out, she let the top down.

"How often do I get to do this?"

She looked stunning as they pulled out of the driveway. With her hair blowing in the breeze, his girl looked completely natural and relaxed. He adjusted the seat to make room for his long legs.

"What would you like for lunch?"

"I'd really enjoy a good grilled chicken salad," she said. "Does that sound good to you?"

He lifted her hand to kiss it.

"That would be fine."

He was running his fingers up and down her leg. Everything about her was tempting him, and he wanted to pull her dress up to see how wet she was. The erection he had was becoming more painful by the moment. She looked over at him while they were stopped at a light and blew him kisses. Even the shape of her mouth was too much on him right now. As she drove to get lunch, Edward had to think about something beside her for at least a few minutes. A flashback of the crime scene came to him. The blood on the wall and the dresser were enough to settle him down.

She pulled into a parking space and turned off the ignition.

"Are you ready to go inside?"

"Yes. Wait right there for a moment."

He got out and walked around to the side of the car to open her door. Her hand fit snugly in his as he helped her get out. They walked inside the café together, and they ordered their food to go. Edward took the bags for her, and, being the gentleman that he was, made sure she was in first. Bella sped off in the direction of the university.

"Do you remember the last time we were at our meadow? It was night time and I took you against one of the trees."

She smiled at that memory, and hoped it would happen again in the near future.

"I loved everything about that night. It was always our special place."

She drove pass the university a short distance till she turned left. The road led down into a wooded area, and Bella parked the car near the entrance. He helped her out again, and they got everything out of the car. It was just as she remembered it, only she felt more alive now. They overcame a huge obstacle together; their love was even stronger than it was in college. Even with the stalker lurking around the city, they could not stop their lives. She knew Edward was doing everything in his power to keep her safe, and that alone made her love for him deepen.

Edward laid out the blanket for them on the grass. They sat down together and he picked a few flowers that were blooming. He took one and tucked it behind her ear.

"I've wanted to do that for some time."

"Don't ever hesitate on doing anything…with me," she licked her lips.

"You don't know the ramifications of that statement, do you?"

"I'd rather you show me those…ramifications."

He laid her on her back and began kissing her passionately. He sucked on her lips while she ran her hands under his polo shirt and pressed his erection onto her body. It was too soon for her to let him know that she was not wearing panties. All of their making out was leaving her breathless. His lips drifted over to her ear.

"As soon as we are done eating, baby, I'm going to take this dress off you. You look beautiful naked in the sunlight."

A rush of wetness hit her between her legs. He would never quite understand the magnitude of his words on her. With one touch, he could reduce her to lust filled woman. As he pulled her up into a sitting position, Bella looked over at him and licked her lips seductively.

"I'm holding you to that because I have a small surprise for you."

"Really?"

She nodded her head as he took their food out for a late lunch.

"Do I ever disappoint you?"

"Bella, you are the most fascinating, beautiful, and enthralling woman I have ever met. There is nothing about you that would ever come close to disappointing me. I love you with an unbridled passion."

"The love I have for you consumes me, and I cannot live without you any longer, Edward. In spite of what is happening now, I am the happiest I have been in some time. It's all because of you."

He leaned over and kissed her on her cheek.

"You always deserve to be happy. I'm coming to your performance next week end by the way."

"I have been rehearsing so much lately, and so have the other girls. It might be one of the best programs so far. We've had to make plenty of adjustments. Philip wants us to shine."

"You always shine, baby."

Yet again, she was at a loss for words because he overwhelmed her. Love, deeper than she had ever experienced, flooded through her soul.

The look in her eyes spoke volumes to him, and he wanted to drop to one knee right there to sweep her away with a grand gesture. Edward could tell from her silence that he floored her with his comment.

She set aside the container, moving over to him. Since he had finished eating, he drew her into his lap and brushed her hair aside.

"You rendered me speechless," she said as she began to lose herself in him.

"Now you know how I feel every moment we are together, Bella. I have to choose my words wisely because I only want to tell what is in my heart."

The strap on her dress began to fall and his fingers began to linger on her exposed skin.

"Are you wearing a bra?"

"This dress has one that is sewn into it, so it's not required."

"I take it this is part of your surprise for me?" He lifted her chin to meet his gaze.

"Only part of it, Edward," she suddenly felt playful. "You have to catch me first."

Bella jumped out of his lap and ran across the meadow. He was hot on her trail, following her closely. Her first thought was to get next to one of the trees, but she had another idea. The wind blew up her dress, which provided him with a glimpse of her bare bottom. That made him stop immediately, but he could still see her running over to the car. She opened the passenger door and slid inside.

The chase had brought out his aggressive side. Once he reached the car, he found her sitting there waiting for him.

"Bella, I saw your other surprise, and you're going to be naked in a few moments."

He opened the door and she lowered the seat back. Before he got in, Edward took his shirt off and slid his pants down. She gasped when he removed them.

"You're not the only one who decided to forgo underwear. Take your dress off, baby. I want to fuck you right now."

She did as she was told before he lowered his body on to her. Limbs were soon tangled together as their mouths met in a heated kiss. He moved down the length of her body, sucking on her neck and her nipples. Bella could not control her hips as he licked down her belly toward her pussy. He separated her folds and pushed in his fingers, pressing them against her walls.

"Ed-Edward…ooohhh…more."

He lifted her body back further to allow him much needed access to her lower body. Before he tasted her, his eyes roamed over her body, taking a mental picture of her naked body in the sun. He could no longer hold back his urges as he knelt between her legs to feast upon her. She felt the tension growing rapidly as he licked her clit. As he pumped his fingers in and out, Edward knew she was close to coming.

"That's it, baby. Tell me who you belong to."

"You, Edward, only you."

She came as soon as she let out a deep moan, letting the sensation of her orgasm take over. Spreading her legs ever so slightly, he pushed inside, maveling in how tight and wet she was. They were deeply connected at this point, moving as one. They kissed deeply, tongues tasting, swirling.

"Faster," she wailed.

He was not one to deny her anything, so he plunged in faster. The intensity of their lovemaking was bringing her to another orgasm. Edward felt every clench of her walls around his cock, and it would not be much longer till he came hard. All it took was a few more thrusts and his cum filled her pussy. Bella clung to his body.

They were wrapped up in each other for a few more minutes as they caught their breath. He peppered her face with soft kisses.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi. I like your surprises, Bella. You are my wonderment."

They shared a tender kiss a she ran her fingers through his damp hair.

"We need to get home, beauty," he said after they broke away from the kiss. "Let me get my shirt back on and I'll get our things."

"Thank you," she said as she searched for her clothes.

Edward got out and ran over to where they had their things. Bella found her dress and pulled it over her head, adjusting it to her body. She lifted the seat back into place, appreciating the fact that the interior was made of leather. He got back to the car and she wiped the seat down with the blanket. It was going in the laundry anyway.

"Ready to go home?" He smiled at her as she put the key in the ignition.

"Yes I am, and I want to spend the night in your arms."

"That's a promise I have no trouble keeping." He lifted her hand to place more kisses on it as they went down the road.

-LISTP-

Alistair had everything in place, and he was ready for tomorrow night. He had one last call to make to the detective before he would abduct his brunette. Now all he had to do was wait.

**The stalker has become a bit desperate now. And what is it that Carlisle is holding over Esme's head? I want to thank you all for your wonderful, encouraging reviews! Your support has made writing this fic more gratifying. I love you all! **


	13. Chapter 13 Depravity Unleashed

**Chapter 13 Depravity Unleashed**

**Disclaimer-I do not own Twilight**

**It just keeps getting better with every chapter, doesn't it! To my wonderful readers and followers, you all inspire me to keep on writing every day. Your encouragement and reviews make my day. I love you all. Kitty Masen, thank you for always reading and waving your magic wand over this story. Your touch adds that extra something. Keep in mind that this is only the start of the series. Off we go….**

The morning light was not very kind or gentle to Esme Cullen when she finally crawled out of bed to look for an ice pack. She was certain that she had drunk all of the liquor in the state of Washington last night after Carlisle had left for the evening. Their marriage was, at best a shamble, and it was collapsing quickly. It was based on lies and deceitfulness on both of their parts.

She took a long look at her reflection in the mirror. Was she really as old as she looked? The lines around her mouth were troublesome, but it wasn't something that a little botox could not handle. Brushing her hair was painful and every pull made her wince. Esme dug through the drawer in her vanity till she found what she was looking for. Then he headed to the kitchen to get ice cubes.

It was quiet in the house, almost too quiet. Apparently, he had not returned from wherever he was last night, which was a good thing, she was certainly not in the mood to put up with him or his theatrics. The one thing that weighed heavily on her mind was if he would wait until after the election to divorce her. All he wanted was power; she was just there merely as window decoration.

They grew up together, as their families lived next door to each other. Esme was never attracted to him in a sexual manner. She had eyes for another man… Riley Biers. Every time she thought about him, even to this day, her heart beat a little faster. Ironically, her family did not approve of him as her boyfriend, much in the same way that she did not approve of Bella. Riley was from a family that lacked wealth or social standing. He attended trade school to study to become an electrician while Esme headed off to the University of Washington.

Then there was her not so little addiction to gambling. It started out so innocently with just a few visits to J&M's Café and Cardroom. She and Riley would secretly meet there, and there was always a game or two happening in the back room. Esme loved the thrill of betting, especially if the stakes were high. Often times, she would go all in with her chips, but the outcome was not always in her favor. Eventually, she found her way there without Riley more often, ignoring his pleas that she stay away. Temptation beckoned her night after night.

Soon, she had to face not only the problem she had, but her debt that continued to grow with every turn of the card. As fat lady began to sing her final notes, Esme went to her parents, begging for help. They did not have enough monetary funds to cover it, so they chose to turn to their next door neighbors, the Cullens. In exchange for Esme to marry Carlisle, the loan for her was to be covered by them. She would make the perfect wife for him since he needed to be married to the right girl. He had political aspirations and having the right woman by his side would make all of the difference.

A few nights before their wedding, Riley and Esme said their goodbyes by making love all night. She wanted him to mark her as his for life. It was bittersweet as he fucked her hard. Neither of them used any protection that time. No one was ever the wiser when she gave birth to a baby boy nine months later she named Edward. Carlisle just assumed it was his child from the occasional times he fucked Esme. Besides, it gave them the illusion of happily ever after, and it would suffice.

As long as everyone though they were happy, who cared?

-LISTP-

They had been making love for hours, savoring each kiss, letting their fingers linger slowly over each other. Edward went into the kitchen to get her a glass of water, but he also came back with ice. Curiosity was getting the better of Bella as she eyed the glass. Then he took out a piece and dragged it across her lips.

"I am going to drag this ice cube over your nipples, baby."

The cold temperature made her slightly jump, but then he followed it with his tongue. That was the sweetest kind of torture she knew. He kept teasing her with it, running it over her belly. The melted water began to run down her sides, causing a tickling sensation.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh Edward…I…need…"

She could not finish her sentence since he silenced her with his mouth. They were very warm against her chilled ones. He grabbed another ice cube as she dragged her tongue over his stubble. Without so much as a warning, he ran it over her folds, which made her hips buck wildly.

"Do you want more, Bella?"

She wanted to cry out for him to stop, but it was impossible for her to tell him no. Then he slid it inside her pussy.

"Aaaaahhhhhh….oooooohhhhhhhh."

Her walls clamped down on him. Edward wanted to taste her now, and his mouth was on her immediately. The feeling of his touch and the rapidly melting ice was making her body writhe under him. Her orgasm hit her with an unexpected force, leaving her in a panting, hot mess. As soon as her breathing evened out, there was a strong need to have his cock in her mouth.

"Lie on your back."

He followed her command willingly, easing his body onto her plush bed. As she palmed his shaft, he blew out a deep groan as Bella nipped and licked her way over his chest. Gliding her tongue down to his aching cock, she swirled it around the top of it. He leaned up and brushed her hair back, holding it with his hand.

"Fuck, Bella, your mouth…shit."

The slender thread of control that he had over this situation was starting to fall by the wayside. Coming in her mouth would be nothing short of an out of body experience. Yet he longed for the tightness of her walls clinging to him.

"Baby, that feels so good, but I want to be inside you."

Wasting no time, she positioned her body over him, letting his cock fill her to the brim. They started out slow, their bodies coming together in a sensual dance. He placed his hands around her ass allowing him to have a firm hold of her. Her face captivated him as she rode him hard, and he had this selfish desire to fuck her till she could not remember her name.

The ache dominated her, forcing her to let her inhibitions out. Every dirty word that came out of her mouth was like a hymn to his ears. She needed to come now, to let him know he owned her body and soul. It took over her body a she drowned in the rapture of their shared passion. As her body convulsed over him, the rush of endless pleasure washed over him as he came equally hard.

Edward saw her loose her balance and caught her before she fell to the floor. Neither of the recognized how close they were to the edge of the bed when they were making love. Her body trembled in his arms as he drew her close to him, pulling the duvet over them.

"Bella, please tell me you are okay."

"Other than being caught off guard, I am fine…much more than fine." She ran her fingers over his chest. "I am so deeply and happily in love with you."

"Beautiful, I fell so hard for you years ago, but I am still falling every day. I could never tell you just how much I am in love with you. Words alone do not do it justice."

"I always want it to be this way between us, Edward. You and me and all the love our hearts can hold."

He hugged her tightly.

"I don't see it ever changing," he said, placing several soft kisses on her brow.

-LISTP-

The hours had ticked away slowly, and he was getting more anxious as he stared at the clock. He was ready to get this underway, so Alistair grabbed his keys. The first stop would be at the gas station to fill the container. Everything was ready in the trunk, including the bomb. He was fairly inconspicuous as he drove around, but he forgot to put on his driving gloves. No one had been able to find his prints in the buick since he normally wore them. Once he filled up the metal can, Alistair headed over to the detective's house to see if he was there. It was not dark yet, so he could see the silver Volvo if it was parked there.

He pulled into the driveway quickly, but it was nowhere to be seen. Quickly, he put the car in reverse and left. The man had to be over at Bella's house. As he got closer to her, his depraved nature began to take over even more. It would only be a little while longer before she would be in his possession, tied up, begging for him to stop. Thinking about the torture he would put her through was getting his cock hard. He imagined her pussy, ripe for the taking, ready for him. He would have to shove both fists inside her pussy. Of course Alistair planned for the detective to be right there when he fucked her…it would be the icing on the cake. Maybe he would kill him before killing Bella.

There was his car parked next to a red convertible in the driveway. He would be back in just a short amount of time to get her. The detective would be away on duty and she would be all alone. This plan was thought out completely and it would work. The sun had almost set completely by the time he arrived at the performance hall. He waited the last few minutes for the sky to darken before getting out of the car. Stealthily, he walked over, black bag in hand, and gently set the bomb next to one of the tall columns… now it was onto the next phase of his plan.

After he drove for about a mile, he pulled over to the side of the road and took out a phone.

"Seattle Police Department, how may I direct your call?"

"There is a bomb at the Washington Performance Hall. I think you had better respond quickly to it. This is the stalker, and I want Detective Cullen to be there waiting for me."

He ended the call and drove for a few more miles, taking the longer, more scenic route to Bella's house. The detective would not notice him since his car would be far enough away when he left her. It would not be long now.

-LISTP-

Bella was more than happy to show him parts of her chorography for the next show. He loved that his girl could move the way she did, and she never held back when she was on stage. As she was changing into her rehearsal clothes, he set up her iPod with the Arabian tribal beat playlist.

"Edward, would you please help me reach for my hip scarf? I placed it up too high in the closet on the top shelf. I can't reach it."

He opened her closet, looked on the top shelf, and took her scarf down. Something else fell down at his feet…a picture of them in college. They were in the meadow, his lips on her temple. He took the picture because his arms were long enough to do it. She walked into the closet, peeking around his arm to see what fascinated him.

"I haven't seen that in years. It was always one of my favorite pictures of us."

"It fell down when I got your scarf, baby. I want to start taking pictures of you again."

He lifted her chin and, slowly, his tongue moved over her mouth. Hands roamed all over their bodies once again. Their kiss became deeper, feeling as if their souls were merging. Edward did not want to let go of her because he wanted her right there in his arms. This was beyond love making or sex. His deeply protective nature was taking over.

In desperate need of air, she pulled her mouth away, but he could not break away from her yet.

"You are my everything, Bella," he growled. "I will love you for all eternity."

"Always, Edward, I will always love you."

With their foreheads touching, she could see the look of deep devotion in his eyes. Her brown eyes reflected that same sentiment.

There was a loud noise that they heard above the music. It was his phone vibrating on her bedside table.

"Culllen."

"You need to get over to the performance hall now. A bomb was planted by the stalker and he asked for you to be here."

"I'm on my way, chief."

A million thoughts went through his mind, but he had to be in control of his emotions. There had been enough training at the academy to teach him how to stay calm during a crisis.

"Bella, there is an emergency down at the performance hall. I have to go because the stalker has planted a bomb there. The chief needs me since this psychopath wants to talk to me."

This was not the time for her to have a break down. Edward needed her to be strong, as much as she needed it for herself. He crushed her body next to his.

"You know I am coming home to you when this is over, don't you? All you need to do is wait here for me, do not leave the house under any circumstance."

He kissed her softly.

"I love you"

"I love you, Edward."

"Lock up behind me."

They walked to the door, and she watched him as he drove away. Normally, she would have turned her music up as loud as possible, but this was too much for her to handle. There was a sense of dread that washed over her, depleting her of hope. She walked over to the couch and curled up, laying her head on a pillow.

-LISTP-

The bomb disposal unit and the canine unit arrived on the scene right before Edward pulled up. There was specific protocol that had to be followed in this situation. Unfortunately, they stalker did not provide them with the necessary information that was needed. They officers were clad in cooling vests, and Edward slipped his on. There were some specially trained officers that were in full gear that were searching around the grounds. Several field detection kits were utilized by them.

He walked over to the chief, wanting to know more details.

"Sir, you said the stalker wanted me here."

"That is what he told the office at the main office when he called it in, but he did not say why."

Several things happened all at one time. One of the members of the bomb disposal unit found it. Edward heard his phone vibrate. Lastly, a horrendous realization came to his attention.

-LISTP-

He gave the detective enough time before driving at her house. After he put the car in park, he made his way over to the side of the house. Alistair began to pour gasoline all over it, and he busted out a window as well. He lit a few matches, specifically throwing one into her house. The he ran over to the front yard. This would not take long.

-LISTP-

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, a noise registered. Bella went to find what it was, but instead she smelled smoke. Immediately she dropped to the floor, and crawled as fast as possible to the front door. The scent was getting stronger and she had to get out. After twisting the knob, she ran right outside, taking in deep breaths of air. A hand reached around her neck before she let out a primal scream. Alistair put his other arm around her body .

"We're going for a ride."

He dragged her to his car and threw her into the trunk. Then he flashed a gun at her.

"Don't think about doing anything stupid, my brunette."

Fear paralyzed her as she came to the conclusion that this was the stalker.

He got into the car and drove like a mad man away from her place. It was time to make that all important final call.

"Cullen."

"Did they find the bomb?"

"Yes."

"Good. My plan worked. I had to distract you so I could get my hands on her."

"Don't you dare hurt her."

He let out a dark laugh.

"The real fun will begin soon, Cullen. I will fuck her thoroughly, and , the kicker of it is, you are going to watch me. I will be at my place in less than twenty minutes. Come over to 18 Heatherstone Street. We'll be waiting."

The sound of his voice made Bella sick to her stomach, as she could hear it clearly from where she was. Now she knew the same terror her friends experienced, but she was determined not to go down easily. She had to fight for herself, for Edward, for her career. As he turned a corner sharply, she hit her head.

"Don't hurt yourself back there. That's for me to do."

Undeniably, his words scared her, but she resolved to fight for her life.

-LISTP-

Edward could not slam his phone down. As much as he wanted to break it into a thousand tiny pieces, it just was not going to happen.

"Chief, the stalker has Bella. He gave me an address, and we have to get over there."

After he gave him the information, several officers were sent with Edward. Now he understood why he felt the deep longing to keep his girl safe earlier. This was at the forefront of his mind as he raced through the streets of Seattle.

-LISTP-

"Get on inside," he barked at her.

The house was filthy, disgusting. She did not have on any shoes when the fire started, and the feeling of the stained carpet was awful on her bare feet. He shoved her further into the bedroom. The walls were covered in her pictures; he had a sick obsession with her. Fueled by anger, Bella turned around and kicked him so hard in the face that his body slammed into the wall. She picked up the nearest blunt object to throw onto him. An old stereo speaker was the first thing she found. Picking it up, she started to throw it, but he knocked it out of her hands.

"You fucked up bitch. I'm going to show you who is in control."

He pushed her back on the bed, quickly binding her wrists to the bed. Next came the duct tape.

"Don't worry. I'm going to play with you some before he gets here. I told your boyfriend where we are, and he'll come crashing in soon. I won't fuck you till he is right here, watching you. There won't be anything he can do to stop me because I'll have a gun pointed right at you."

Bella knew Edward would not let him rape her, not when he was in the same room. She had to keep breathing and stall him the best way she could. Her faith was placed in the fact that her man would do his best to keep her safe.

**I promise there is an update coming soon. I love you all, and please leave me your thoughts.**


	14. Chapter 14 End Game

**Chapter 14 End Game**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**I'll keep this short. To my readers, I promise I am giving you the very best that I have. To Kitty Masen, I flove you hard, sweets. Hold onto someone you love because this is the showdown we've been waiting for.**

He kept his calm all the way over to Alistair's place, all the while driving as fast as he could. This part of town was known for drugs, so it was no surprise that the asshole lived here. The SWAT Team arrived behind him, but Edward knew this was really going to come down to a faceoff. Every part of his training, both mental and physical, had brought him to this point including the courses he had taken to become a sniper. The combination of his excellent range shooting and his knowledge of criminology were going to keep Bella alive. Alistair was not going to escape.

The situation needed to de-escalate quickly, and Edward knew they were walking a fine line in this hostage situation. Some of the officers were standing behind the patrol units holding grenade launchers, as they were ready for the moment when the door would be broken down. The house was surrounded by officers, and he had his glock ready. When the signal was given, the door was broken in and Edward was the second one to enter.

-LISTP-

"We'll be so happy together."

He had a sick, menacing look on his face that could rival Satan any day. When he ripped he pants off, Bella had to close her eyes. In her mind, she kept repeating to herself that this was not the end. His nails scraped on the outside of her panties.

"Your pussy will feel so good around my fist and my cock. Look, it's already aching for you."

He pulled his pants down and shoved his cock into her face. She pulled away, not wanting to have any contact with him. The back of his hand met with her face.

"That was the wrong choice."

He had the torch near the bed, as well as his camera. After he picked them up, he ripped her panties off, laughing sinisterly.

"Yeah, now we are going to start getting down to business."

He switched on the camera, followed it up with the torch.

"You were the prize, Bella. The rest of them were just a warm up."

Alistair was not counting on her to do one thing. She summoned all of her courage and swung her legs at him with as much force as possible. There was a loud noise just as he fell, and smoke was filling the room.

-LISTP-

The smoke from the grenade was filling the house, but it would not last long. The protective eye wear was keeping his eyes safe. The house, from what he could see, was a nightmare. A loud coughing noise was coming from the back. Edward followed the sound till he came into a bedroom. Alistair was lying on the floor, searching for something. Bella was tied to the bed, and it took everything he had to not run right over to her.

"This game ends now," he said in a loud voice.

"Cullen, at last you finally made it." He stood up and pointed a gun right at him.

"Are you ready to watch me fuck her? She's all ready for me."

He went right over to the bed, keeping his eyes on Edward.

"There's nothing you can do now. Look at how helpless she is."

He did not make any verbal response to Alistair. Instead he kept his concentration on how fast he could aim and shoot without hurting her.

Time froze for a few seconds. He pulled his fist back. Bella closed her eyes. Edward lifted the glock, knowing he had the right grip angle. Then he pulled the trigger before he could touch her.

His body immediately slumped over, falling onto the bed, and rolling to the floor. He had been shot in the head. A few other officers came in as he moved over to Bella, untying the knots rapidly. There was a ratty blanket on the floor that he picked up to wrap her up in because her body was shaking hard.

"Baby, I've got you now. No one is ever going to hurt you."

Lifting her into his arms, he carried her out of the house. She was sobbing now, partially from relief. Being in her man's arms never felt more safe than at that moment. There was an ambulance waiting for them, and he brought her over to one of the medics. It was impossible for her to let go of him; she clutched at his vest as if it were her lifeline.

"Please examine her wrists because they were bound up," he said.

The marks on her neck left another sign of what he did. He let out an angry growl once he saw them.

"What did he do to you, Bella?"

"I-I ran out of the house…because it was on fire…he-he tried to choke me…he threw me in the tr-trunk, Edward."

"Your house was on fire?"

There were no words to express the anger he had toward Alistair. After she whispered yes, he felt his heart breaking for her. No one should ever have to face what she went through.

"I have to know something, but I think I already have my answer. Please tell me you were not raped."

She shook her head no in a fast motion, and relief swept over him. The medics were checking her vital signs, as well as her wrists.

"Ma'am, you've got some abrasions. Let me go ahead and treat them."

The chief came over to them, recognizing the visible look of horror on her face.

"Ms. Swan, on behalf of department of law enforcement, I am so very, very sorry that this happened to you. We need to obtain some information from you. Cullen, I need you to fill out reports."

Time seemed to creep by slowly for them. Edward only left her side long enough to reenter the house. The bedroom walls were covered in her pictures. Clearly, the man had a sick obsession with Bella. On the bottom of one of the photographs, there was a piece of paper attached. It was a note from his father, thanking him for a well done job. Carlisle wrote that, because of Alistair's hard work, he would have enough evidence to hurt his son further. This was all his father's fault. While he may not have kidnapped anyone or tortured the girls, he certainly played a role. Edward would never forgive him for this.

The fire department contacted the police about Bella's home. It was all but completely destroyed. When they told her the news, he was walking out of the house, running to catch her. It was all too much for her to handle. She was dependent on him to be strong for both of them.

"I…I can't, Edward."

He took her face in his hands, making sure she could see the depth of his love.

"You and I are getting out here soon, baby, and we are going to my home. I will not let you go for one second. I love you and I want you to feel safe."

"I love you, too," she whispered.

-LISTP-

He was true to his word because, as soon as they were at his home, Edward never let her out of his arms. Lifting her out of the car, he carried her to the bathroom and began running a bath for them. Her breathing became steadier now that they were alone. He unfastened her bra before helping her get into the tub. Then Edward undressed and slid in behind her, pulling her close to him.

"I had complete faith that you would rescue me. Your words kept running through my mind."

"What words, baby?"

"You never promised me that you would keep me completely safe from harm. Yet you said you would do the very best you could. I never forgot that. And I forgot to mention that I kicked him hard enough to make him hit the wall."

He smiled for the first time in several hours.

"I am so proud of you, and that alone made me fall harder for you, my brave girl."

He ran his hands over her arms, letting his thumbs brush across her nipples. It elicited a moan from her.

"I'm not going to do anything you are not comfortable with."

She was quiet while he bathed her, being careful of her bruised neck and wrists. The water felt good, but Bella preferred his lips caressing her instead. It was obvious that he was being careful with her, but she wanted to move forward. Normally, they would have ravished each other by now. All she wanted was for them to get beyond this. The frustration she felt brought tears to her eyes.

"Is this too much, baby?"

He knew her mood had shifted.

"I am so confused," she began. "Any other time we would have lost ourselves in making love, but now, it's…it's"

"Are you afraid I don't want you?"

He hit the nail on the head.

"That's it. I need for us to get out of this tub and mark each other. I need you to heal me, Edward. Please don't deny me this."

Their lips crashed together in a frenzy of desire. She parted his lips with her tongue and explored his mouth. Her taste was sweet on his lips, and he could not get enough.

"If this is what you want, Bella, what kind of man would I be if did not fulfill your needs? Especially when they are in perfect alignment with my own?"

He got out of the tub, reached under the sink for a towel, and lifted her out. Once she was wrapped up, Edward carried her to bed.

"Please promise me that if this becomes too much, you will tell me to stop. I never want anything about our intimacy to remind you of him. Our love making is sacred to me."

He set her down in the bed.

"Edward, you are right. Let's show each other just how sacred it is."

Without a moment's hesitation, he was next to her side. Their hands were exploring each other, healing and caressing. Her moans of pleasure made him feel confident that this was what she needed. Navigating down her body, he worshipped her every curve with his lips and tongue. Her hands were fisting his hair as he licked at her hard nipples. Repeatedly, Edward would look into her eyes, seeking out her encouragement and her smile.

"I want more," she whispered as she placed her hand over his, moving it to her drenched pussy.

He made her see stars when he slid his long fingers deep inside her, curling them. Warmth spread through her body as he kissed his way down to her clit. Bella craved his mouth now, wanting him to lick her till she came hard. One taste was not enough for him, so he pushed his tongue into her pussy to taste more of her divine nectar. He spread her folds further as her muscles began to twitch.

"You know you want to come, baby."

He blew on her clit, and that was her undoing. He held her hips tight as she lifted them higher off the bed. His name was the only word she could say coherently as the euphoria set in. She rode out her orgasm as he lapped at her eagerly. Slowly, Edward set her body back down.

"Let me bury my cock in your sweet pussy."

She barely had time to acknowledge him before he slid inside till she was full.

"I love you, Bella, with all of my heart, body, and soul," he whispered in her ear.

A few tears came down her cheeks, and he could feel them.

"Do you need for me to stop?"

He stilled his body to listen to her.

"No, never stop. I'm just floored by us, by what we overcame. Our love is nothing short of amazing. I love you, Edward Cullen, with every fiber of my existence."

Slowly, he started thrusting in and out of her as they began to kiss. Tongues met and danced together. He placed one of his arms around her head, cradling her. Their love making was straddling the fine line between tenderness and fucking. When her breathy gasps increased, he pushed in as far as possible. He had to show her all the love he had, and Bella accepted him greedily. She surrendered to the intensity when she felt his finger flick over her swollen clit and his mouth suck on her neck.

He let go moments later, coming deep inside of her pussy. Her walls were tight as they grasped him. The aftershocks were making her body tremble, but she welcomed every one. Their eyes met as he slowed his pace.

"You make me feel alive and safe. I know I can do anything because of our love."

He pressed his lips to her brow before pulling out.

"Bella," he began, lying on his back, "all of my life is wrapped up in you. You reduce me with one glance."

She snuggled on top of him.

"No matter what happens, you're my home," she said. "He only took away the physical walls and the roof. I was not going to let him take my life away, because I was determined to see you put a bullet in his head."

"That's my girl, " he said.

-LISTP-

The following morning, Esme scanned over the front page of the newspaper. There was a picture of her son with a headline that read 'Detective Kills Stalker and Saves Hostage.' An audible gasp came out of her mouth as she read the article. While she genuinely missed him, he would not want to talk to her, even if she only wished to congratulate him for a job well done. Her son was a hero to the city of Seattle, yet a disgrace to his own family.

Why should it really bother her if he had a liaison with Bella? It was possible that he was content with her, but Esme wanted more for him. Ironically, her father wanted more for her than Riley. She shoved the paper away as this crossed her mind. She could not understand that she, as well as Carlisle, behaved just as badly as her parents had more than twenty years ago. The concept was not registering in her mind.

The one thing that she questioned was whether or not her husband knew about this?

-LISTP-

"I'm not expecting you to come in today, Bella. You've been through a traumatic event."

Bella sat up straighter in bed as she continued to talk with Philip.

"I have to meet with the insurance agents this morning about the house. It was a total loss. I want to come down there, because that's the way I handle life."

"I know you do, but you need to take care of some things. Was your car damaged?"

"I don't know because I have not seen the house or what is left of it."

"Let me know how you are doing, Bella. You're like a daughter to me."

"I will, and maybe I'll come by tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye."

She set the phone down and looked up to see her man walking out of the bathroom.

"Are you sure it's fine for you to take a day off to help me?"

He walked closer and crouched down in front of her.

"I never take any time off, and the chief understands the situation. I'm due a vacation soon. I wanted to ask you about this any way. Do you think you can take a few days off from the troupe? We need to get away from here."

"Philip should not have a problem with it, but I want to be in the performance on Saturday. I have to prove that this guy could not take anything away from me."

He brushed his fingers over her face lightly.

"There is no end to your strength, baby, and it's one of the many things I love about you. Before we go to the insurance agency, I'm going to get you some clothes. There is also one other stop I want to make."

"What is it?"

"I'm going to drop by my dad's office and pay him an unexpected visit."

-LISTP-

Carlisle came into his office a little later than usual. He told the administrative assistant that he was going by the bank, as well as another appointment. Aro demanded another fix soon, so he had to meet one of the dealers. It was turning out to be a difficult morning, but he was not expecting to see several journalists in the hallway when he arrived.

"Mr. Cullen, may we have a moment of your time to ask some questions?"

"Certainly," he said with a fake smile.

"Your son is Edward Cullen, correct?"

"Yes he is."

"Do you know that he is now one of Seattle's heroes?"

"Unfortunately, I have been busy with personal business this morning, so I have not had a chance to read the newspaper."

"He killed the stalker and saved the woman he was holding hostage, Mr. Cullen."

He sucked in a breath of air, reminding himself to keep smiling.

"He did the city a big favor. Any other father could not be more proud of him than I am for his brave actions."

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

-LISTP-

Edward took her to get some new clothes and personal items once they left the house. Happily, he bought her anything that she needed. Bella was in no position to say no to him. She knew that when they were alone tonight, he would reap the reward of his generosity. On the way to see Carlisle, he explained the role his father played. It was almost too much for her to grasp in a small time period. Most of all, she was bothered by the extreme measures Carlisle took to hurt them.

"May I have a few words with him?"

"I was not expecting you to go inside with me. My only concern is that he might say something to you. If he crosses the line, then he'll have hell to pay. I will not allow him to get away with this."

They rode in silence for a few more miles, then he parked the car near the building.

"Are you ready for this, Bella?"

"Yes. I have a few things I have to get off my chest."

They walked into the lobby and checked in with the security guard. Edward introduced himself as Carlisle's father and Bella as his girlfriend. Once they were given passes, they went over to the elevator holding hands. The third floor was their destination. After the door opened, they stepped out to find his dad talking to the press. They heard the lies coming from him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Edward asked in a loud voice as he walked over to him

"If you'll excuse me, I have city business to attend to."

Carlisle walked away from the journalist, but he could not walk away from Edward. He followed him down the hallway with Bella by his side. Trying to close the door on them would not work because they moved on inside.

"I need, no I demand answers now dad. Why did you hire Alistair Gacy?"

The look of rage that was on Edward's face almost intimidated him.

"I needed someone that would follow you and take the pictures I wanted. I did not believe you when you said you were not seeing that…that whore. So I…"

Edward's fist met with his face, causing Carlisle to stumble backwards.

"It's your fault that he saw Bella in the first place."

He pulled him up by the cuff of his shirt, looking directly into his father's cold eyes.

"You're just as sick as he is. I don't want to see you ever again after we leave this room. You can rot in hell with Alistair for all I care."

After he let go of him, Bella walked over cool, calm, and collected.

"I know we got off on the wrong foot, Carlisle, but I have one thing to say to you from the bottom of my heart. Fuck you."

She bent her knee far enough to where her foot would have the most impact with his cock. The pointed toe kitten heels that her man brought her came in handy as she kicked him with all the force she could summon. Falling to the floor, Carlisle was doubled over in pain.

"Are you ready to go to the insurance office, baby?"

They walked out of his office, happy to leave him wallowing in his pain.

-LISTP-

They left the insurance agency with a large check that would cover all of the damages.

"Edward, I want to ask you something very important."

"Go ahead."

"Do you want me to continue living with you?"

"Yes, always Bella, but if you want to find another place to live, then I will be happy too. I just want us to be together."

"I want to find another place, but it's not for me…it's for us."

A quizzical look passed over his face.

"I want us to have a place that is uniquely us. Don't get me wrong, your home is a great place, but-"

"Would you like for us to have a home together?"

"Yes, I would love that."

He pulled her into another protective embrace before kissing her lips.

"Let's go on home, baby, because we have to find a new home."

"Is that all we're going to do tonight? I still want to show you just how much I appreciate how you spoiled me today."

"That can be arranged, too, as long as I get to see the lingerie you choose."

She gave him a sexy smile.

"It's only for your eyes, Edward."

**Don't we all feel relieved now? I have to thank you all for hanging in there with this story. It is one twist right after another. I love all of your comments and reviews. Please let me know what you're thinking. Much love!**


	15. Chapter 15 Fraudery and Consequences

**Chapter 15 Fraudery and Consequences**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Twilight**

**Thank you all for staying with me on this journey. I am so thrilled to have this many people who are reading and following this story. We are getting closer to the end of this fic, but this is part one of the series. Kitty Masen, you are a sweetheart! Thank you for your special touch. Let's get going…**

Detective Tyler Banks got out of the uncomfortable desk chair and walked around the room. Another large check was returned from the bank this morning, and the fraud department was examining it. He had the unrelenting suspicion that someone in the higher ranks of the department was responsible for this. The phone rang, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Detective Banks."

"This is Johnson over in forgery. I've examined the signatures on the checks this morning, cross referencing them with other signatures. You will be very interested in what I've discovered."

"Why don't I come down to your office in person?"

"That's a good idea. I'll be down there in a few minutes."

He left the office and walked up stairs to the forgery unit. Upon entering the room, Tyler saw a large table in the center of the room, covered in equipment.

"Hey man. Tell me what you found."

"After we put the check through the high resolution scanner, the signatures are off. Of the four checks that were sent to us, the scanner read the signatures as one hundred percent fraudulent on the one we received today."

Johnson put the check through the scanner to let him examine it.

"When you examine the F in Maggie Ford's name, the cross at the top is curved. On the sample she provided for us, the cross has an incurve, and this only appeared on the newest check."

"Have the forensic technicians found any fingerprints yet?"

"We are waiting on the report, Banks…I believe this might be the key to breaking the case. I'll give you a call when they let me know the results."

"Thanks, man."

Approximately two hours later, Detective Banks learned that Aro Voltouris' fingerprints were on the left hand corner. Was it possible that he had any involvement in this?

-LISTP

Bella returned to work on Tuesday, fully charged and ready to dance. Philip and the rest of the girls welcomed her back happily. She wanted to move forward to get ready for Saturday's performance. This one would hold a special place in her heart. Not only would Edward be there, but she would prove that Alistair's depraved actions could not bring her down.

Fusin beats filled the hall and her soul. The smooth wooden stage floor felt inviting as she practiced variations on hip lifts and drops. It felt rewarding to loose herself within the repetitious movements, to turn her body over to her sensual side. They were actually very simple, consisting of repetitive drops, lifts, and knee bends. When she paired them with graceful snake arms, though, it became fluid as the motions appeared to move across her body.

Bella's mind became disengaged when she closed herself out for a few moments. His voice was all around her, and the sensation of the rope can back briefly. Breathing became a labored chore as fear gripped her. She did not want to have her resolve tested now, but she had to sit down.

Tanya saw everything that happened. She stopped her practice and rushed over to help her friend.

"Breathe with me, Bella. We'll get you some water."

One of the dancers went upstairs to get Philip. He came down to the stage as she began to softly cry on her friend's shoulder.

"Can you tell me what you need?" he asked as he sat next to them.

"I…I think I had a flashback to the other night. Would it be alright if I took a break for a few minutes?"

"Absolutely," he replied. "You should not push yourself right now."

He helped her get back to the dressing room where Bella made herself comfortable in a chair. After Philip walked out, she grabbed a protein bar from her bag because she needed to get some food in her system. Looking back on it, she suspected that it was inevitable that some of the memories would rear their head. Now it was all a question of how she was going to control this anxiety before it drained her of her life's energy. Was this a form of post-traumatic stress disorder? All Bella wanted was to move on, but maybe her psyche was holding onto it.

She pulled put her phone to call Edward.

"Hey sweetheart. How is practice going?"

"It's great, but I'm taking a break now. I needed to hear your voice. How are you?"

"I'm fine, just finishing reports that I started a few days ago, but I'd be lying if I said I was not concerned about you."

"I think I need to speak to someone about the kidnapping, Edward," she said as a few tears ran down her face. "I tried to be brave, but something happened during rehearsal earlier."

"What happened?"

"I could hear his voice and feel the ropes around my writs again. Then I began to have difficulty breathing. Philip came downstairs and helped me get back in here in the dressing room."

His heart was breaking as he heard about his girl suffering.

"Do you need me to come over during my break?"

"That won't be necessary, but would you help me find a counselor tonight. I know we have more houses to look at online, too."

"I would be more than happy to do that, baby. I love you."

"I love you, too, and I'll see you later."

"Always, Bella."

She laid back her head and took some more deep breaths before going back in the stage. There was a small knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Sweetie, I wanted to check on you," Tanya said as she walked in the room. Bella sat up, giving her a smile as she walked over.

"I'm doing better now, and I had a snack."

"You look better. I wanted to tell you that I understand what you're facing now. A few years ago, I was held at gun point when I lived in Los Angeles. The robber wanted my money and my jewelry, so I happily gave it to him. While I never saw him in person again, he was in my mind far more often than not. That's one of the reasons I move here to Seattle."

"I would have never known about that if you had not told me. Did you see a counselor or a therapist?"

She sat down near Bella.

"I did for a brief period, and I took anti-anxiety medication, too. Do you think that would help you?"

"At this point, I don't think it could hurt me. I was not expecting the memories to have that much of an impact on me."

"No one does, Bella, but it's up to you as to which way you decide to handle this. Therapy helped me tremendously. I can give you her name and number."

"Thank you, Tanya. I would appreciate that."

After she gave her the business card, Tanya left to go back to the stage, and Bella dialed the phone number of the therapist.

-LISTP-

"Tell me why we are going into a jewelry store, Ed?"

"We're here because I have to find a ring for Bella."

Emmett stopped walking and gave him a questioning look.

"Did you just say ring?"

Edward shook his head in agreement.

"You must love her man. I've known Rose for a few months, but I don't know if I'm going to ask if she'll marry me."

"Em, I don't think she would be in her right mind to even consider being your wife."

"I'm hurt that you would say that about me. Rose told me last night that she was glad there were not more men like me in the world."

Edward just shook his head.

"Seriously, I want your opinion. The ring I want to give her has to be different. I don't want to give her a traditional one."

They walked around, looking in the cases, and talking with one of the jewelers, who wanted to know about Bella. He told Edward that, by knowing some information about her, he could steer him toward the right bauble. The jeweler stepped into the back and produced a wooden case.

"Not many women would have the personality for a ring like this, but, from what you have told me, this might be the one."

The ring he produced was unlike any that Edward had seen before. It was large, with multiple swirls of diamonds set in silver. Two larger tear drop diamonds were in the midst of the swirls. He and Emmett were speechless.

"If this one is not what you are looking for, I have others in the back,"

"No, that is exactly what I want for her. You hit the nail on the head with this. Thank you."

Once he paid for the ring, he slipped the velvet box into the interior pocket of his jacket. Now he needed to let the chief now about the time he needed off.

-LISTP-

After finishing rehearsal, Bella headed upstairs to talk with Philip. His concern for her earlier was authentic, and she wanted to reassure him that she was fine. He motioned for her to walk in when she looked in through the his open office door.

"How are you feeling now?" She could see the genuine concern in his face.

"I am much better now, but there is something I want to discuss with you. After the performance on Saturday, I would like to take a few days off. Edward and I want to go away. We feel that we need the time alone after what has happened."

He set down the water bottle before speaking.

"That sounds like a great idea. Honestly, it might do you a world of good. How many days would you like off?"

"At least through next Wednesday if that will work out, Philip."

He flipped through the calendar on his desk.

"That's fine, Bella. How do you feel about sitting in on a few interviews next week after you return from vacation?"

"I'll be glad to help you. I'm headed out now."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

She could not wait to tell Edward the good news later on.

-LISTP-

Esme walked out of the upscale boutique rather dejected. Her credit card was declined, and it was not the first time it happened today. If she did not need a new spring wardrobe, she would have not have driven all over the city looking for new clothes. Exhaustion was setting in, so she went home. Carlisle would not be home until later, but she wanted to ask him about their joint account.

After she had something to eat, curiosity got the better of Esme. She called the bank instead of speaking with her husband. They would not tell her lies as she suspected he would. The conversation was stressful for her because she learned there was a block on the account. Access to the funds were denied because of suspicious activity on an account that was in Carlisle's name. Since his social security number was on the joint account, the bank froze the money.

Her jaw dropped as she began to process the news. He had never mentioned this other account in the past to Esme. It made no logical sense to her, but that was true for most of his behavior. Why would he hide money from her and where did it come from? After she closed her phone, she decided that she was tired of the mystery and the unanswered questions. If Carlisle was not going to let her know what was going on, she would get to the bottom of it her self. Summoning all of her righteous indignation, she walked out of the bedroom and headed for his office.

` -LISTP-

Edward was relieved to see his girl waiting by the Volvo when he walked out of the department. She was wearing a bright smile on her face. Once he was beside her, he could not help but pull her up into his arms and swing her body around.

"I take it you're happy to see me?"

"I'm always thrilled to see you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm better now."

He opened the passenger door for her and she slid inside. Then he went over to the driver's door, opened it and got in.

"I have dinner ready for us. Also, Tanya gave me the number of her therapist. A few years ago, she was held up by some ass hole, so she knows about the emotions I feel now. I made an appointment for Friday before practice."

"That is great, baby. You know you have my support, always. We need to get you a new car soon. Would you like another convertible for us to christen? "

Bella could not suppress her laugh at his comment.

"I loved my car, and I definitely want another one."

"Then we'll go to the dealership and buy one."

He lifted her hand to bring it to her lips after he parked the car in the drive way.

"Let's get inside so I can start ravishing you. It's been too long since I have kissed you thoroughly."

-LISTP-

"I need my money, Carlisle. We made a deal, and now you owe me."

"Give me few hours, and I'll have it in your hands. I'll call you when it's ready."

A dark laugh came from the other side of the phone.

"You have it all wrong. I will call you in a few hours and you will meet me. You don't get to call the shots."

The phone line went dead.

Carlisle got out of the car and walked into the bank. The atmosphere in side was eerily quiet. He walked over to branch manager, to let him know he was there to make a large cash withdrawal. He was told just to have a seat in the lobby to wait while the manager started the cash transaction report. Something about that seemed odd to Carlisle. Any time he received a large amount of money, no one ever filled out a report. Since he was a councilman, the manager always over looked this detail.

Unbeknownst to him, some of the bank staff were behind the teller line, calling the police. They had sufficient evidence that the checks were stolen or fraudulent. Now they had to stall him long enough before he left. To keep him from becoming suspicious, the manager walked over to the lobby with the report.

"I need to write down some information since this has to be reported to the I.R.S., Mr. Cullen."

"Why haven't you done this in the past?"

"Our branch has been under review for breach of policy and procedure. I don't have any options now."

Carlisle let out a heavy breath.

His bad day was about to get exponentially worse.

Two police cars pulled into the parking lot, and three officers came walking inside toward the lobby.

"We need to have a few words with you, Sir," one of the officers said.

"Gentlemen, what can I assist you with today?"

"You can turn around with your hands behind your back."

"What are you talking about? I'm a councilman for God's sake. I'm running for mayor…"

He was pulled out of the chair and pushed against a desk, and a pair of handcuffs were placed snugly on his wrists.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…."

-LISTP-

Bella walked out of the bathroom wearing a new slip that Edward bought for her the other day. Just as her eyes met his, she was pinned against the wall with his mouth on her neck. Her arms went automatically around his back, drawing him closer and giggling at his spontaneity.

"Baby, you should expect this sort of behavior from me when you wear next to nothing."

He was certain a purr came deep from inside of her as he continued to lick his way over to her lips. Their kiss started slow, but by the time they broke for air, their lips were swollen. He rushed to lift her into his arms to move her over to the bed. The slip was not on her much longer since he took it off in the blink of an eye. Her naked body was on display for him, and a deviant grin was all he wore after removing his boxers. He settled in on top of her, allowing his hands to roam over her lush curves.

"This is all I could think about today," he whispered as his lips brushed over her hard nipples.

"I wanted to be right here in our bed, Edward. Tell me you won't tease me."

He could not resist kissing her deeply, exploring her mouth with his tongue.

After pulling away from her hungry mouth, he moved down to her drenched pussy. She let out a squeak as he pressed his lips against her clit.

"Hold on, baby, because teasing you is the last thing that will happen now."

The combination of his words and the ever present desire in his eyes were almost enough to make her come undone. The pleasure she took in his touch was mounting, as he continued to lick her folds. He slid two fingers into her pussy, and pulled them in and out at a rapid pace, eliciting more erotic noises from his girl. Her body quaked and writhed under his every touch as she came closer to the edge.

"Is it dirty enough for you? Do you like it when I fuck you with my tongue baby?"

The force of her orgasm tore through her body, leaving her breathless. His name was barely recognizable when she moaned. As much as he wanted to come inside or her pussy, the thought of her bent over and fucking her from behind was on his mind. She liked it when he did that.

Without a word, he effortlessly lifted her body off the bed and kissed her deeply. The shared taste of her cum on his mouth sent shivers down her spine. Instinctively, she grabbed his cock and palmed it intensely. Edward let out a heavy gasp as he mouth moved down his neck, sucking and biting on his skin.

"I can't wait for your cock to be buried balls deep in my aching pussy."

"Bend over, baby, so I can fuck you hard."

She laid her body over the bed, and he slid inside as far as he could go. The tightness of her walls was making it almost impossible for him to move in and out. He placed one hand on her hips before moving his other to her nipple. Neither of them could get enough. When Bella cried out in pleasure, his hand moved further down her body towards her clit. She lost any form of control when he pinched it. Over and over, he kept grinding his body next to hers, getting swept up in his own impending orgasm. It only took a few more thrusts before he came hard, filling her pussy to the brim with his cum.

Making his was up her back, Edward placed soft kisses along her spine, noticing her beautiful smile. It made him feel as though his heart were to burst with all the affection he had for her. After he pulled out, he helped her get into bed.

"You were rather controlling tonight. I must say that I like that side of your personality."

He ran his fingers through her thick tresses.

"What can I say, baby? You always find a way to bring it out of me. Since you told me that, I will use it to my advantage next time, and that is a promise."

"You always keep your promises, don't you?"

"When it comes to you, I will always do that. I love you, Bella."

"I love you, Edward. Philip allowed for me to take off some days after the performance. He does not expect me to return till next Wednesday."

She leaned up and grazed his lips with her own.

"That's fantastic. I'm taking off some days too, and I have plans for us."

She lifted her body up, feeling a burst of happiness.

"I don't want to give away any details, but I want you to pack a suitcase soon. Please pack your favorite bikini, too."

"I'm already excited!"

"As much as you were…earlier?"

His hands began to rub across her thighs.

"I'll let you be the judge of that, Edward."

-LISTP-

Esme was in his office for over an hour when she came upon a deposit slip for over one hundred thousand dollars. There was a date written next to it in ink and a name. Who was Dimitri?

**What do you all think about this chapter? There is only one left in this fic, but this is only the beginning. Detectiveward has much left for you all to read. Please write down your reviews and thoughts! Love you all! **


	16. Chapter 16 The Start of Something Wonder

**Chapter 16 The Start of Something Wonderful**

**Disclaimer-I do not own Twilight.**

**This is the last chapter in this fic, but the second part of the series will debut within a few days. None of us can get enough of Detectiveward can we? I have to raise a glass to toast my friend and my beta, Kitty Masen for her help! You seriously rock! **

The room was cold and overly bright, which made it perfect for interrogations. Carlisle was feeling extremely impatient as he walked around the room. Why had his lawyer not arrived yet? This matter needed to be resolved immediately. The click of the door knob made him turn around.

"You'll have to forgive me, Carlisle, I was caught in traffic. Now, I need you to explain what is going on and why you need my help."

"I went to the bank earlier to withdraw some money to cover a debt I owe to an…associate. A few minutes later, the cops came in and arrested me," he said as he raked his hands through his hair. He could feel his lawyer's eyes following him around the room.

"Did you try to get money from a stolen check?"

"No, but I have had trouble with a few deposits I made in the past few weeks. Three checks have been returned."

"Do you know why they were returned?"

"They came from the department of law enforcement, and Aro Voltouri gave them to me directly. We have a business arrangement."

He stood up and looked at Carlisle directly in his eyes.

"Level with me about this so called arrangement, I can't help you if you can't help me. Why is he giving you these checks?"

"Aro supplies me with the funds I need so I can get him the drugs and prostitutes he wants. The money comes from the department, obviously. I did not know that the signatures were forged."

His lawyer, Chris, could not believe his client's ignorance.

"Of course they would have to be forged. Do you honestly think that the head of the department of law enforcement would want to get caught with drugs and prostitutes? You are in some serious deep shit, my friend, but we'll find a way to make you the victim in all of this."

"Why else am I paying you this much money?

Ironically, the most corrupt lawyer in Seattle found his match in Carlisle.

-LISTP-

Esme left the courthouse the following morning after her husband was arraigned. She still could not wrap her mind around the fact that her husband may have committed a felony. He certainly had his fair share of faults, but this was a new low for him. Even as she was seated behind him in the court room, he did not acknowledge her beyond a cordial hello. The arraignment was early in the morning due to the fact that this was a high profile case. With one swift thud of the judge's gavel, his bail was set at two million dollars. There was no way they could afford that unless the house was used for collateral. The last thing she wanted to do was to make a deal with a bail bondsman. For now, Esme was happy to let him stay behind bars…for now. It would make her life a little less complicated without his presence.

-LISTP-

Bella was ready for the show when Saturday arrived, and there was a new red convertible sitting in her driveway. Edward went with her to the dealership earlier in the morning. Thankfully, they had a car that was almost an exact replica of the one she lost in the fire. She was going to drive it to the hall in a few minutes.

"I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing you perform tonight, baby."

He placed his arms around her body from behind as she gazed in the mirror.

"Since I know that you will be there in the audience watching, I will be motivated to dance that much better."

Their eyes met in the mirror.

"I love looking at our reflection. Can you imagine we were ever separated?"

"Edward, our connection was never truly broken. We are even stronger now than we were in college. Look at all we have overcome."

She turned to face him, running her fingers over his face.

"You still won't tell me where we are going?"

"No, but I promise you will love it. Before I leave tonight, I will pack our bags in the trunk."

Their lips moved closer as they began to share a lingering kiss.

"Oh," she whispered as they broke away. "I would like to continue that soon."

"Trust me when I tell you we will do that and so much more. Let me walk you to your car."

After she left for the theater, he went back in to get the rest of his packing finished. The ring he purchased was in his safe that was in the back of the closet. After putting in the combination, which was the day they first met, he pressed down on the handle and took out the black velvet box. Edward slipped it into his pocket since he did not want to let go of it until it was on her finger. After tomorrow, it would be there for all eternity.

Once the bags were set into the trunk, he set the security code and locked the house up. There was still one stop he had to make before going to see his girl perform. The flower shop had a bouquet of Irises set aside for him since he called earlier. He ran inside, made his purchase, and drove off. The look on her face would be priceless when he handed them to her, and he lived for that.

-LISTP-

Bella's costume was a dark plum shade with gold coins on the hips, abdomen, and bra cups. The floor length chiffon scarves emphasized her movements. Full stage makeup was required-heavy foundation, false eyelashes, and all topped off with a glowing bronzer. The girls all agreed it was their two hundred and fifty dollar face since that was the estimation as to how much was spent on their cosmetics. Philip wanted for them to have the best so their shows would be the best. Tanya sat next to Bella as she applied her lipstick.

"How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing really well, Tanya. Thanks for asking, and thank you again for the referral for your therapist. I went yesterday."

"Was it helpful?"

"She made me feel comfortable. I talked with her about the night I was held hostage by Alistair. She told me I have this innate strength that is allowing me to overcome this. I have some work to do to get a handle on the flashbacks, but she's optimistic I can do it."

Tanya gave her a hug.

"I believe you will be fine, Bella. Besides, you have the love of your life supporting you. Will he be here tonight?"

"He said he would not miss it for the world."

"Five minutes!"

Philip gave them the warning to get out of the dressing room and out to the side of the stage.

The girls walked out and waited for the music to start. She could feel the anticipatory butterflies in her stomach. He whispered for her to get ready because she would begin the show with her first solo, which would move into the first group number. The curtain was closed when she walked out onto the stage. It was time for her to build the "fourth wall," which meant for her to close off the audience and see that space as bricks and mortar. Bella positioned her arms in a prayer pose, waiting for the fusion mix to begin.

The curtain was raised and a bright spotlight was on her. Once the sound of the complex and overlapping notes came through to her ears, she began spinning straw into gold. The anxieties of the past week were banished as her spirit soared. Everyone that was witness to this was mesmerized by her talent and her ability to own it. The isolation of her single movements was fascinating. She had mastered her art. Yet no one was more awestruck by her than Edward was.

He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was excellent, but tonight, she was nothing short of incredible. The pride he had for her was endless. Alistair had not taken away anything from her; if anything, he enabled her to prove her strength. Her dancing was deeply sensual, coming straight from her soul, and it was arousing to him. Edward was certain that other men were equally enticed by her, but she belonged only to him.

There was a woman sitting in the middle of the audience, by herself. She could not argue over the fact that Bella Swan was an unbelievable belly dancer. Perhaps she was the best she had ever seen. As the opening solo came to an end, she did not join with the other people in the thunderous standing ovation they gave her. She was ready to leave. Cursing under her breath, she walked out of the theater towards her beat up BMW.

She had known Bella since they met in college, and they were studying to become dancers. She did marginally well, passing her courses with fair grades. It was when Bella was chosen over her for the final spring performance that her true nature came forth. If only her so called best friend had not spread deceitful lies about her, then maybe her life would be different now.

There was some meager amount of talent left over, and she was going to put it to good use. Next week, she had an interview with the man who managed the dance troupe. She would impress him as much as possible, because Rose King needed to get this job. Ruining Bella would be much easier if she was close to her again, especially with the daily rehearsals they would have together. She would never be suspicious of her. Determination filled her heart as she started the car.

-LISTP-

The cramped walls of the prison cell were enough to make Carlisle feel claustrophobic. He was not happy with the fact that his wife would not put up the money for his bail. After he was taken back into custody, Esme left the courtroom without even talking to his lawyer. She proved to him how deep her hatred was by walking away. There would be consequences for her.

Sitting on the gray mattress, he plotted away at how to get revenge on Edward. Carlisle was almost certain that he played a role in his arrest. The best way to hurt him would be to hurt something or someone that he loved…like Bella Swan. It would be a challenge from where he was now, but he had a few connections he could count on. The first name that came to mind was Royce King. It was Royce who gave Carlisle support on the council. Together, they worked on city planning projects for the parks and recreation office. He remembered Royce talking about his daughter, Rose, who was in college studying to be a dancer. The irony of that was not lost on him. Was it possible that she knew Bella? As soon as he could get talk with his lawyer, Carlisle would have Chris to call him on his behalf. That would be enough to open the lines of communication between the two men. Now that he had plenty of time on his hands, he could think through his plan.

-LISTP-

Edward was waiting outside the dressing room for Bella to change into her street clothes. The door opened, allowing Tanya to walk out.

"Hello, you must be…Edward?"

They shook hands.

"Yes, that's me, and you are?"

"My name's Tanya. Those flowers are beautiful. She's a lucky girl to have you."

"I have to disagree with you on that. I'm the fortunate one. Thank you for giving her the name of your therapist."

"That was not a problem. We support each other in the troupe, and she's my friend. I was happy to help. She's getting ready to come out in a minute. Nice to meet you."

"It was good to meet you, too."

He felt a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Hey handsome. What did you think of the show?"

The smile on her face grew wider when she saw the Irises.

"You were nothing short of brilliant, Bella. Are you ready to hit the road?"

"I would love to. Are we still going to take my car back to your place first?'

"Yes," he said before kissing her forehead. "I will follow you."

They walked outside, holding hands, and looking forward to uninterrupted time together.

-LISTP-

Bella was too excited to doze during the two hour drive. They talked about their relationship, his career, and the houses they found online. Edward sill had not told her where they were going; the only clue he gave her was they would use the indoor hot tub. At least she knew why he wanted her to pack a bikini.

Because it was dark, she missed the sign that read Sunset Resort. The closer he drove in the direction of the lake, she could see the cabins. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree when he parked in front of one of the more secluded cottages.

"Do you like your surprise, baby?"

"Like it? That is such a poor excuse to describe how much joy this brings me."

The need to kiss her deeply was taking over, so he ran around to the passenger door. Once she was out of the car, he leaned her against it, capturing her lips in a demanding kiss. They explored each other's mouths with their tongues, hungry for each other. She grabbed his hair in her fists and pulled on it hard. His hands cupped her ass tightly.

"Let's go inside," he said in a dark voice.

Edward entered the code he was given for the door when he made reservations.

"Wait," he told her as the door opened. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her through the cottage.

"You did not have to carry me."

"Bella, I intend on showing you how endless my love and devotion is to you. That includes carrying you in my arms."

Once they were in the bedroom, he set her down on the bed and began removing her clothes. Moments later, there was pile of jeans and t-shirts on the floor. Their desire to fuck each other was taking over. Mouths and hands traveled across their bodies, bringing each other pleasure.

"I…I need you inside me…now"

He slid inside her tight pussy in one deep thrust, wrapping her legs around his waist. She clawed at his back, moaning for him to go faster, deeper. If she ever wished for him to dominate her, this was the time he was not holding back. The pressure was mounting inside of her body. All Bella wanted to do was to let go. He could feel that urge building as her body began to shake.

"Come all over me, baby," he whispered before biting her ear lobe.

She surrendered to her orgasm as he felt her walls contracting around his aching cock. He knew he would not last much longer when he felt his balls painfully tighten. Then he released deeply inside of her, coating her pussy with his cum. Edward collapsed on top of her as they tried to slow their breathing. He rolled over to one side, the cool air of the room bringing them welcome relief.

"I need to run out to the car to bring in our bags. Will you be okay for a few minutes while I'm outside?"

"I'll be fine, Edward. I'm feeling a bit tired now. All I want is to snuggle in your arms and go to sleep."

"That can easily be arranged. Please give me a few minutes."

The day finally caught up with Bella, and she was having difficulty standing up to pull down the comforter. The room felt cold to her. She lay down in bed, wrapping herself in the sheets. He came back inside to find her dozing. His girl looked peaceful in her light slumber, and he wanted to join her. Once the suitcases were set aside, he went over to her side, placing a feather light kiss on her lips.

Edward could barely make out her soft whimper.

"Please…hold me."

He lay down next to her, enveloping her body in his embrace.

As soon as he was certain she was asleep, he leaned down to speak softly to her.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful. This time tomorrow night, I hope you will be my fiancée. I love you with all of my heart."

With one last kiss to her face, he laid his head back on the pillow and fell asleep contentedly.

-LISTP-

Edward had everything planned out for their dinner. It was on the terrace of the clubhouse overlooking the lake. The resort worked with him to prepare a night of romance for them. While Bella was getting ready, he spoke with the event planner on the phone. The food arrived, and they would have two servers there as long as he wanted them to be present. The box in his pocket was burning a hole in his hand every time he felt it there. He wanted nothing more than for her to say yes tonight.

The scent of her familiar perfume filled the room. Turning to look at her, Edward was at a loss for words. She took his breathe away in her purple satin and chiffon strapless dress. He let out a low whistle.

"I'm glad this will be a private dinner tonight. Other men should not be allowed to look at you the way I am right now."

"I only want your eyes on me, Detective."

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his on her hips. He dipped his head to brush his lips over her pulse point.

"If we don't get out of here soon, I am going to beg you to take me against this wall."

He had to laugh at her admission.

"What do you think I have planned for us?"

-LISTP-

The terrace was covered in bee lights, casting a soft glow across it. They enjoyed a dinner of sirloin steaks, baked potatoes, and sautéed vegetables. Soft music was playing through the speakers. Once they were done with their meal, he dismissed the servers for the evening. More than anything else, he wanted to be alone with her right now. They walked over to the edge of the terrace.

"I can see the reflection of the moon in the lake," she said as she gazed upward. "We don't get to see the night sky this clearly back in Seattle. The stars are so clear I could count them."

"Does that mean you like it here?"

"Yes I do."

"Do you think you'll cherish the memories we make here?"

"Of course I will, Edward. What are you doing?"

He dropped to one knee in front of her.

"Bella, I have loved you for many years. I am certain that I will always love you, protect you, and provide for you as much as I can. Would you please make my life complete by marrying me?"

He took out the black velvet box and opened it to reveal the ring.

Time stopped for her as she looked into his eyes, seeing his love reflected in them. This was exactly what she wanted, and now he was asking for her hand in marriage. Tears were beginning to fall down her cheeks. He had waited long enough for her to give him an answer.

"Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes!"

He pulled the ring out and slid it onto her finger, marveling at how perfect it looked there. It was the ring she had always wanted from the man she deeply loved.

Edward stood up and took her into his arms.

"I love you, baby."

Their eyes met again.

"I love you,"

He tipped her chin up to bring her lips closer to his. It was a soft, slow kiss.

"Let's go home now," he said.

She placed her hand on his arm as he led them back through the wooden path to their cabin.

-LISTP-

Edward had set the dials on the private hot tub for them, making sure it was not too warm. The chill in the night air would make it feel inviting. He could hear her soft footsteps coming down the wooden stairs that led from the back door. She had a short terry cloth robe around her body.

"Look at you sitting there with a grin on your face," she said.

"You're the reason I'm grinning, Bella. I'm waiting for you to take off that robe and get in here with me so I can keep you…warm."

That was the only prompt she needed, and the robe slid down the length of her body to the ground. He offered her his hand to guide her into the tub, allowing his eyes to run the length of her body. She had on a bright pink bikini that tied in the front and on the sides. Gasping, she was not ready for the relaxing sensation that the water offered.

Edward sat back across from her, trying in vain to read her mind. He was not expecting her to ease over and take his board shorts down. Instead of grabbing him, she let her fingers brush against him. A low growl came from his throat. She pressed her mouth against his neck and let her tongue roam over his skin.

"Since you are enjoying the cold night so much, why don't you sit on the side of the tub so I can suck your cock?"

Anytime she offered to go down on him, he happily obliged. She drank in the sight of his naked body covered in water drops and settled in between his thighs. Greedily, she took him into her mouth, sucking him in slowly. It was the sweetest torture he had ever experienced. The sight of her head going up and down was an image he burned into the back of his brain. As much as he wanted to lie back, the need to watch her was even greater.

Bella could feel the familiar pangs of desire filling her as she ran her fingers over his body. Knowing that only she could make him breathe this hard made her want him that much more. He owned her completely.

"Baby," he choked out," you are going to make me come if you keep this up."

She took her mouth from around him, only to place a soft kiss on his cock.

"Come back down here so I can ride you."

She curled her finger to motion for him to join her. Seconds later, he was pulling at the straps of her swim wear.

"I have wanted to do this ever since you took off your robe."

He placed her over him, settling his cock deep inside her. Their bodies were joined as one now, their lips hungrily devouring each other. Her legs were wound tightly around his waist. The motion of her hips was fast, and if he could have seen her, it would have been hypnotizing to his eyes.

"Fuck, baby…so tight….so sweet."

They wanted everything the other could give. Her wet pussy pulled him farther inside.

"Rub your clit for me."

Her hand slipped further down her body, and he could feel her teasing her sensitive nub. Crying out his name into the night, her body was rocked with the force of her orgasm. When she could no longer hold her body up, Edward gladly held her tighter as he fucked her till he came. His eyes rolled in the back of his head and a deep gust of air came from his lungs. For several minutes they simply held each other, basking in the afterglow.

"I love you, my wife to be," he said.

"I love you, Edward, my husband to be."

They shared another deep, passionate kiss.

"I think I need to get you inside, Bella. Your skin is showing the effect of the water."

"That would be great. Can we spend the rest of the night in bed? I would not complain if we were to have another opportunity to be intimate."

"We will have many opportunities all night. I can guarantee that."

The sound of her laughter echoed through the woods as he lifted her into his arms, carrying her inside the cottage.

**And we are done with the first fic in the series, you all! The title of the next one is Some Like It Hot, and there will be plenty of suspense, love, lemons, and twists. I love you all, and let me know your thoughts! **


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